Tired of Being Teased: Obesity and Others

Teasing and bullying are topics that have gained a lot of press lately, but there’s precious little up-to-date advice available to kids who find themselves the target of these behaviors. At the same time, as the pointed introduction to this title explains, “children are the fastest growing segment of the obese population in the United States.” Successfully closing the gap, chapters in Hunt’s title open with vignettes describing life at home with Patti, who is obese, and her sister Sierra, who is not. They go on to cover such topics as self-loathing, genetic predisposition to obesity, societal influences, and how children who are overweight can increase their self-esteem, make better choices, and, of course, deal with teasing. Photos show children of various body types and ethnicities, and the plentiful scientific information in the book is accompanied by colorful charts and diagrams, illustrating, for example, the food pyramid and the structure of DNA. Overweight children who need help coping with everyday life, and instructions on how to become healthier, need look no further.