Feb 6, 2008, 9:42 GMT
Hong Kong - Three out of four Hong Kong teachers discriminate against overweight students, seeing them as sluggish and even nasty, a survey published Wednesday found.
As many as 150 out of a total of 200 teacher questioned were found to be on the whole negative towards overweight students, with younger teachers showing a stronger bias against them.
The survey, conducted by the physical education department of the Hong Kong Baptist University, questioned teachers aged 23 to 35 in 70 primary and secondary schools in the former British colony last year.
They were asked to pick adjectives to describe groups of overweight and thin students, choosing from a list which included words like 'wonderful,' 'joyful,' 'nasty' and 'horrible.'
One of those interviewed chose 19 discriminatory answers to 20 questions.
Associate Professor Patrick Lau, who led the study, said the survey also showed physical education teachers, particularly men, showed the strongest bias against overweight students, with some even singling them out and not letting them join in games with their peers.
'This can be a vicious cycle. When fat children are deprived of the opportunity to participate, their already low self-confidence will be further affected, making them more reluctant to give it a try.'
Lau added that such treatment along with teasing could lead to low self-esteem, social isolation, eating disorders and even thoughts of suicide.
The survey follows a similar study which showed doctors and nurses also discriminated against the overweight.
The Hong Kong Health Department claims 18.9 per cent of primary and secondary school pupils are overweight now, an increase of 3.9 per cent on ten years ago, as families switch from a traditional diet of rice and vegetables to more Western-style fast food.
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