The Nature and Extent of Weight Bias Toward Youth

in recent years, there has been increasing attention by researchers, policy makers, and the general public to bullying and victimization in youth. Public concern is warranted, as almost half of youth are vulnerable to fre-quent bullying from peers during adolescence.1 Children who are overweight or obese are especially vulnerable to frequent victimization (e.g., teasing and bullying) because of their excess weight,2,3 and are more likely to be victims of teasing and bullying compared to their average-weight peers.4–6 Longitudinal research demonstrates that weight status significantly predicts likelihood of future victimiza-tion in youth,7 with the heaviest youth at highest risk for future stigmatization. the school setting is a particularly salient environ-ment where weight-based victimization occurs.8,9 Recent research suggests that adolescents report weight-based teasing to be one of the most common forms of teas