Everyday we see how obesity affects poor children in dramatic and difficult ways. One of the ways we’ve seen it hurt children is through words. The words that other people say, even those who mean to help, can hurt. Parents, teachers, doctors and other children can be cruel. Obese children suffer in their grades at school and have higher rates of depression, largely because of weight bias.
The Fat Experience Project, an oral, written and visual experience project, tries to illustrate the experience to humanize obesity. In VJs Fat Experience, a woman tells her story of how, at 10 years old, she was institutionalized for being fat. It’s both heartbreaking and poignant.
If your child — or a child you know — is overweight, please read 10 Things You Should Never Say to an Overweight Child. We also provide free literature, and workshops at schools to deal with bullying and weight bias. Please contact Rena at 718-240-8125 for more information.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. So let’s take it as an opportunity to stop and think about the words we use when we talk about weight.