UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

This handout identifies common bullying experiences people go through and what you can do if you are being bullied because of your weight.

Weight bullying or teasing happens to a lot of people in many different places – in school, at home, through social media, and even between friends. Just because it happens a lot doesn’t mean it’s right. In fact, weight-related bullying is wrong. This handout helps teenagers identify if they are being bullied because of their weight and what they can do about it.

This handout includes a variety of web resources pertaining to weight bias for kids and teens, parents, teachers and school administrators, and employers.

If you have experienced inappropriate negative attitudes, verbal comments, or other unfair actions due to your weight by someone in your workplace, this handout provides several options to consider.

The prevalence of weight discrimination in the United States is comparable to racial discrimination, and is even more common than gender or age discrimination in the employment setting. This handout provides examples of weight bias in the workplace, explains the consequences, and offers strategies to reduce it.

Companies can benefit from implementing workplace wellness initiatives, as they often result in healthier employees leading to a reduction in health care costs, decreases in absenteeism, and improvements in employee productivity. However, some companies may wonder, should weight loss be a goal of workplace wellness initiatives? This handout answers this question and offers suggestions for effective, non-stigmatizing wellness initiatives.

If you are concerned about your child’s weight, you may be wondering if you should talk to your child about it directly. Talking about weight is a sensitive issue, and children are particularly at risk of being negatively influenced by conversations and comments about their weight. Although these conversations are well-intentioned, it is recommended that parents avoid discussing weight with their children, and instead focus conversations around health rather than weight.

If you are being bullied about your weight, you may be tempted to try to lose weight to make the bullying stop. But it is important to remember that unhealthy eating habits are dangerous and can be very harmful to your health. Anytime you try to lose weight too quickly, you can often gain the weight back and develop a cycle of unhealthy eating. Here are some tips for healthy things you can do to feel better about yourself and your body.

You may not be surprised to learn that many children and adolescents with high body weight are teased and made fun of by peers at school and through social media. This has damaging effects on children’s emotional and physical well-being. But, did you know that parents can also be a source of weight bias? In addition, weight-based comments from parents may have lasting impacts on children. Here are some quotes from adults reflecting on their experiences of weight bias.

This handout provides tips to combat weight bias, including challenging your personal assumptions about body weight, communicating with sensitive language, and increasing your understanding about the causes of weight gain.