text: Social media has allowed what seems to be an epidemic of fat shaming. Fat-shaming, in essence, is scolding, criticizing or embarrassing people for being overweight. Now you can troll the Internet and find a picture of a person (whether it is someone you know or even a stranger) and then tell that person how fat he or she is. This is a great way to make you feel better...rather than actually improve your own life. Take for example, Jessica Benton's 10-month-old son Landon. (Yes, 10-month-old son.) After she had posted a picture of Landon on Facebook, someone re-posted Landon's picture, created an internet meme named "Stuff Curry" after NBA star player Stephen Curry and for Landon's size. Soon, the meme went viral, and a rain of obese and fat insults for Landon came a-pouring. In response, Benton posted pictures of Landon dressed in anti-bullying messages and then Landon went from a target of shame to a social media star:
  — Parents Magazine (@parentsmagazine) May 27, 2016
  — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 23, 2016
  Of course, fat-shaming and bullying usually doesn't begin at 10 months of age. But according to a recent study published in the journal Child Development, fat-shaming does seem to begin at first grade. The study, led by Amanda Harrist of Oklahoma State University, found that among 1,164 six-to-seven-year-olds in 29 rural schools, many who were considered overweight or obese with weight problems struggled socially and emotionally, being neglected or actively rejected by their peers. That's quite early to already be branded a reject. Think of the lasting emotional and psychological harm that this could cause and the path in life that this may slot for the children.
  Evidence suggests that rather than help people lose weight, fat shaming can actually makes things worse. A study published in the journal Obesity showed that perceived weight discrimination was actually associated with increases in weight and waist size. Another study the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that exposure to weight-stigmatizing news articles may prompt women who already feel overweight to eat more. As an NBC News report emphasizes, fat shaming can cause stress, and stress can lead to obesity.
  A fairly recent study to show the harm of fat-shaming appeared in the journal Appetite, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and led by Megan Pesch. The study entailed videotaping 237 low-income mothers and their children being presented with large servings of cupcakes. The researchers looked at how the mothers advised their children on how to deal with the cupcakes. They found that children who were obese tended to have mothers who used more negative language and tones (such as scolding) towards them. Now, while this does not necessarily mean that scolding and fat-shaming leads to obesity, it does add to the growing body of evidence that fat shaming does not help people lose weight.
  So how, exactly, are first-graders learning how to fat-shame? Little children don't seem to be born with hatred. I haven't met too many babies who are racist, sexist, bigoted or bullies. (If you are being bullied by a baby, then you may have other issues.) No, children learn how to discriminate...from other, often much older, people around them, such as their parents, their family members and their family's friends. Chances are the people who were calling Landon "Stuff Curry" and various insults were not other 10-month-olds. (If they were, then why are they using Facebook instead of Instagram?)
  Also, messages from television, movies, advertising and the Internet are probably contributing. Here's a story about a Charles Poliquin, a personal trainer who publicly made fun of an overweight woman on Facebook. According to Inside Edition, Alicia Machado, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1996, claimed that Donald Trump labelled her "Miss Piggy" after she had gained weight. This story from People covers allegations that Penn State women's gymnastics coaches body-shamed team members.
  Now, opposing fat shaming is not the same thing as doing nothing about obesity and being overweight. Even when people do need help to lose weight, shaming isn't helping. Can we once and for all dispel the notion that fat-shaming works to prevent and reduce obesity? The argument is that fat-shaming somehow will make people realize that they should lose weight. This is based on the faulty premise that being overweight always is simply a lack of knowledge, desire or willpower. This overlooks the social, environmental, economic, cultural and many other systems that are contributing to the obesity epidemic. (For example, what if you live in an area where it is difficult to find stores that sell healthy food or places to walk and exercise?)
  If you still believe that fat shaming helps, show me the evidence. Those who are claiming that they are fat-shaming to help a person are simply trying to justify bullying. It is unlikely that people who wrote insults about "Stuff Curry" were thinking, "I really want to help that infant." What's more likely is that they felt, "I need help but can't help myself, so I'm going to find someone to tease to make me feel better." Let's stop fat shaming and start addressing the real systems causing the obesity epidemic.