Parents of obese children rate bullying as their top health concern, and obese children who are bullied experience more depression, anxiety and loneliness. To develop effective strategies to address this problem, researchers sought to confirm that the child’s weight status is actually the primary factor underlying the bullying.

In the study, “Weight Status as a Predictor of Being Bullied in Third Through Sixth Grades,” published in the June print issue of Pediatrics (published online May 3), researchers studied 821 children and their weight status and reported bullying, as well as a list of other attributes that study authors hypothesized may affect a child’s risk of being bullied. They found none of these factors played a role. Obese children had higher odds of being bullied no matter their gender, race, family socioeconomic status, school demographic profile, social skills or academic achievement. The authors conclude that being obese, by itself, increases the likelihood of being a victim of bullying.

Authors suggest interventions to address bullying in schools are badly needed. Also, because stigmatization of obese children remains pervasive, health care providers who are caring for obese children should consider the role that bullying may play in the child’s well-being. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.