Big Girls Don't...Go To College?

Obese girls are half as likely to attend college as their thinner peers, shows a new study appearing in Sociology of Education. They are also more likely to consider killing themselves and to try drugs or alcohol.

Analyzing data on almost 11,000 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, researcher Robert Crosnoe, associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin found that about one-third of non-obese girls enrolled in college while less than one-fourth of obese girls did. In high schools with few obese students, obese girls were even less likely to further their education.

But why should weight matter to academics?

A review of more than 100 studies published in Psychological Bulletin earlier this month shows that overweight kids face stigma as early as preschool, when children begin ascribing negative characteristics to heavy people. Teasing followed shortly after, and even teachers were found to harbor a bias against these children, viewing them as "untidy" and less likely to succeed than their peers. Some studies even showed that parents were less likely to give college financial support to obese daughters than non-obese girls. The result was higher rates of suicidal thoughts, a hard time making friends, high risk for eating disorders--and a predicted quality of life on par with cancer patients.

Sadly, it seems girls are being hit hardest: obese boys were still just as likely to go to college as normal weight peers, according to Crosnoe's study. The pressure on girls to be thin and increasing media sexualization mean body image is often the biggest factor in a girl's self-concept. And so these findings show a double whammy to women's empowerment in which not meeting society's standards of beauty also means and lowered career prospects and earnings potential.

As numbers of obese children--and people discussing what to do about them--increase in America, we therefore must be careful to speak with sensitivity and to challenge this bias which often goes ignored and even unnoticed. Parents should emphasize children's positive qualities rather than focusing on a weight program. When addressing the issue, both parents and school programs should address meeting healthy nutrition and exercise goals rather than attaining a body shape or size. Teachers should also choose class partners and teams rather than allowing children to pick their own to prevent overweight children from being excluded and should confront teasing or discrimination of these children just as they would teasing or discrimination on grounds such as race.

Read more: Obese Girls Less Likely To Go To College