Overweight children are not only discriminated against by other children, but also by their very own parents, as revealed by a study from North Texas University in Denton, reported canada.com.
Whether they realize it or not, parents are less likely to offer financial help to purchase a car for an obese family member. Researchers found that students who bought their own cars had a higher body mass index than the students who received help from their parents.
Researchers Adriel Boals and Amanda Krahe have published a study in the journal Obesity, which shows that over two-thirds of Americans are obese, and that they live with daily discrimination at school, work and in relationships, tending to earn less and remain single. Consequences of constant weight discrimination include depression and low self-esteem.
Researchers believe that parents subconsciously discriminate for two possible reaons. Firstly, from an evolutionary standpoint, they may be less likely to invest resources in offspring they believe are unfit. And secondly, they’re following the general public’s tendency to discriminate against obese people.