Preschool children’s perceptions

The aim of the study was to determine if preschool children perceive overweight children to have more negative characteristics than non-overweight children. Children from 32 to 70 months old (N = 42) listened to four stories about an interaction between two children, in which one child demonstrated socially unacceptable behaviour and one child demonstrated pro-social behaviour. Stories were presented along with two target figures (overweight, non-overweight). Results showed that children perceived overweight target figures as ‘mean ’ more often than ‘nice’. By understanding children’s negative perceptions towards overweight peers, the findings can inform the development of programs to prevent or decrease body stigmatization in order to create inclusive learning and social environments where all children are accepted, included, and gain a sense of belonging regardless of their body shape or size