BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Obese children in elementary school in U.S. have 63 percent higher odds of getting bullied than thinner ones, according to a study published in Monday's issue of Pediatrics.
The study, led by Dr. Julie C. Lumeng from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, involved 821 boys and girls aged 8 to 11.
A quarter of the children reported being bullied, although their mothers said about 45 percent of them were bullied.
The reasearch also suggests that being overweight is the only factor that increases the risk of being bullied, other factors such as gender, race and family income levels, don't seem to matter.
This finding is "so disturbing to me," Dr. Julie C. Lumeng told Reuters Health. "There is no simple solution to the problem. I think it reflects the general prejudice against obese people," and children, even at a very young age, pick up on this.
(Agencies)
