Were you ever bullied in school for being overweight? How di

Nettabee

The boys on the bus used to say 'Weebles wobble but they don't fall down" when I would walk by. I would cry on a daily basis.


Ironically these are the same guys who now comment that it's too bad I'm married!! As if they'd ever have a chance in hell with me!!!

I know that's right!
"Can't touch this!" :laugh:

heleflump

In the words of the oracle that is: Beyonce Knowles - I say to all those bullies out there ::(ahem):: "What goes around. comes back around - hey? My baby!!" - May well be my status from now on!!!:bigsmile:

shinypinkpolish

I was constantly bullied for my weight, and when I look back I was nowhere near as big as I am now. I didn't get really big until I was like 21+ haha alcohol didn't help!

But yeah, I would cry almost every night over it. A couple of times in Jr. High I had to have my mom take me to school, because some of them even got physical and I was threatened and I literally did nothing to deserve it. I would barely even talk to anyone.

PhatAndy

Has this experience changed you?

afwg1979

In 1967, my family moved to New Haven, Connecticut. I was an extremely shy and fat 12-year-old girl who wore glasses and had an overbite. School had been in session for six weeks. I was in 8th grade. Sometime during the afternoon, an entire pack of firecrackers went off underneath my chair. While everybody laughed, I was sat, frozen in shock -- too afraid to move or scream. I soiled myself. I refused to go back to school until a deal was made. Because I was very smart and responsible, the school made an exception: I had to go to school on Mondays and Fridays, long enough for me to get my assignments, get one-on-one assistance and turn in my completed assignments. I never had to go back into a classroom in THAT school again. Instead I checked in with the principal's office, during mid-morning hours.

In 1968, I entered a brand new public high school. It wasn't a piece of cake. I had one goal: To get my diploma.

In September 1971, my senior English teacher, Ruth Schwartz, who had taught me as a freshman, sophomore and junior, took me aside and had a gentle one-on-one talk with me. She told me that I had the choice to battle my obesity, that I was a trapped butterfly. I was 250 pounds. I thought I was chubby. My mom called me "goldita." I went home and looked up the word "obese." I was mortified. I asked my English teacher for help. She provided her home as a safe haven and took me under her wing. When I graduated in June 1972, I weighed 130 pounds. Contact lenses and braces came later. I continued my communication with my dearest of teachers, whom I loved as a mother, until she died of cancer in January 1994, one week before I gave birth to my only child. I still miss her.

Because there will always be cruelty, we must strive to practice lovingkindness. People who touch our hearts never die.

Afternote: Ruth was instrumental in helping me win a full scholarship to the University of Connecticut. However, because of my extreme aversion to being in classrooms, I chose to enter the "school of life." To this date, this is my one great regret.

PhatAndy

That is absolutely mortifying, I am so sorry that happened to you.. I can see by your weight loss bar you are doing AMAZINGLY well. Keep it up!

gagesmom314

I was bullied by classmates and family from about third grade through well...now. I was in fourth grade when my mom put me on my first "diet". I was probably only 20 pounds bigger than my classmates at that time. I know she was overweight and unhappy and didn't want to see me travel down the same path. From that point on there was a constant stream of diets every year that we would do for a few days until her will power lost out. My mom and I have a very close relationship and I purposely didn't share with her about this journey I am on right now for fear of criticism. She will notice when she sees the change in me.

School was always horrible. I hated to go and my freshman year of high school we were required to take 6 weeks of swimming. I dreaded every day putting on a swim suit and having coed PE in a swimming pool. The kids were mean and would make comments about the water level in the pool. I wasn't more than 40 pounds heavier then most of them at that point.

Also my freshman year a friend of mine who was also overweight at the time and myself were standing at a locker and Senior boys came by and threw dog food at us and told us that we were nothing but dogs. That one stuck with me for a long time and honestly still does.

I didn't go to any high school dances with dates after my sophomore year. So when prom rolled around my junior year I didn't go at all. My senior year I had planned on not going as well because who wants to show up without a date and not have anyone to dance with for the night? Well a week before prom a guy asked who I was going with. I said no one and he told me that he would have asked me had he known but now it was too late. So my hopes were up for a few short moments before they were dashed. He said he wasn't going to prom and then went anyway. I know that all sounds very trivial when I type it out here but it wasn't at the time.

Today I am a successful person who just started the battle of weight again. I am treated differently at work. I am treated differently when I go to events and conferences. Mostly I am treated differently by the parents at my oldest son's school. When he plays sports all the other parents sit and talk and it is obvious that I am not to be a part of that group. If I sit near them I am not included in any conversation. When their children have sleep overs my son is omitted. I won't let my own problem become an issue for my children which is why I am on this journey. I feel stronger for what I have been through but I feel more down on myself because of it all.

brushe

I was not bullied in school, but I worry for my 5 year old as he grows up. He's sweet and compassionate, but struggles with finding ways to deal with his frustrations......he's a taurus (bullheaded), wears glasses, and has already come home from kindergarten asking why everyone asks him about his glasses and why he wears them. the school is great because they discuss bullying with the students and it is not tolerated. I'm sure it still happens though.

Tonnina

I was called "Beast" or "The Beast" in 7-9th grade... At the end of 7th grade I hit a growth spurt and gained about 25lbs and probably 4 inches... none of my clothes fit right because I was suddenly a "woman" and had gained bo.obs and height. My pants were high waters and I got teased for that a tiny bit, but for the most part during 8th grade I was called "The Beast" because I towered over all the girls and some of the boys and I was probably the "fattest" kid in school... I also didn't do well in P.E. and the bullies saw that.
One day, in middle school inbetween classes, one of my regular bullies said in a deep voice "Watch out, it's the beast!" and I was having a cra.ppy day so I was having none of his B.S. I started to chase him through the busy hall... I don't think he expected me to be so fast... but hey what can I say? I was mad. I chased him into a classroom where there was no teacher and yelled at him to "Knock this sh.it off!" and he said "what if we don't?" (we being him and avout 3 other boys) I told him I'd shoot him with my .22 and he laughed and I told him I was dead serious and started after him again and that's when a teacher walked in, told us to go to where we were supposed to be.
I went to the councler after that and basically tattled on them, but nothing happened. they may have been called down to talk to the councler, but they still bullied and bothered me.
On the bus one of the bullies started to poke fun at me but luckily one of the older girls (a high schooler who had my back) asked him if he thinks I liked that name... He was like "sure she does, if she didn't she'd change how she looks!" When he said this I was sitting two seats in front of him so I turned around and screamed at him, tears streaming down my face, "I can't, I can't change how I am!" And the older girl grabbed him and told him to knock off the bullying or next time there'd be a big fight.
Eventually I went to the high school councler and told him what had happened... all of it, from 7th grade till then, the middle of 9th grade. I told him I had tried to ignore them, I had tried confronting them, I had tried changing, but nothing was getting through to them. The best councler in the world told me I'd never have to worry about this again. He assured me that since we were in high school now and should be acting like adults that the whole situation would be taken care of and it was.

To this day I still feel like people are laughing at me or judging me... I see my bullies sometimes around my hometown but I don't think they recognize me, I'm not taller or fatter but I have glasses now... I'd love to walk up to them and show them how I have changed, but I'm not a boasty type of person. Also I never really want to talk to them again... let them live their sad little lives and I'll live my happy healthy life without them in it.

CupcakeDefeater

These stories have made me kinda sad I cant actually believe that people / kids can be so nasty. I was always quite lucky in school, never got bullied as my mouth was as big as my *kitten*, but i was always the funny fat girl. NEVER AGAIN!

lose100in7months

I used to get bullied at home by my older brother a lot for being overweight. Not one week in my childhood can I remember not being harassed. He would humiliate me and make me feel worthless by beating me up and telling me I should be able to defend myself. Yet instead of teaching me, he'd be someone I'd have to defend myself against.

In primary school, it was all emotional bullying - never physical. I wouldn't have a lot of friends and the ones I did have would play games like "let's run away from him!" and because I was overweight, I could never keep up. That kind of scars me to this day because at times I can't help but feel like I'm running towards friendships that I'll never get close to.

In high school, I was always pushed from one group of friends to another because I wasn't confident enough to make enough jokes and be as popular as others. I lost a lot of good friendships this way. The lack of confidence was a result of me feeling inadequate due to being overweight.

I've gained a lot of weight since being a kid, but finally... I'm losing it! I'm halfway and... all of that stuff in the past that used to control me now is nothing but a memory that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The experiences hardened me into a very sensitive person who is a fierce friend to those I am close to. So I thank every single experience in my past for the person I've become.

I once heard a saying that "Only though hardship can true humility be attained. It's this knowledge that enriches life".

People don't understand the value of a smile or a pat on the back until they truly understand what its like to be deprived from it.

Oh yeah, and another one - "Even in the darkest storms, the sun is still shining behind them waiting for the time to shine".

Thank you so much for sharing this. you dont know how much your life sounds like mine. I actually developed a mental illness that I am now on disability for called borderline personality disorder.. I fear conflict more than anything in life.. My worst habbit is preservation of friendships. When i fear a friendship is about to fail I will completely cut off contact with that person isolating myself from them and the world because if they cant tell me they have a problem with me and dont want to be friends then we can continue to be friends....

You sound somewhat like my fiance. He used to be a bigger guy before I met him, and he was beaten by his step dad and cussed out and yelled at all the time at home by his family. He always has it in his head somehow he's going to loose me, and hes actually cried over it a few times before. All I can really do is reassure him I love him more than anything, and then we'll sit and talk for hours. I dont know if you've found yourself a girl/guy yet (not sure of your sexual preference, found out 2 years ago my dad was gay and he does NOT look like it but, okay... lol) but I hope you do find a girl/guy to reassure you everything is alright and help you through your issues and problems, and love you for who you are and love every part of you, and accept the parts of you that you simply cannot change.

jcr85

Oh yeah, I was bullied. Girls are MEAN! I was bullied from about grade 2 through 10.
In grade school I was called "State Puff Marshmallow Girl"-it was early 80's, thank you Ghostbusters. I was teased about being fat. Girls ignored me, boys teased. I ended up friends with mostly boys, and was more of a tom boy. I loved sports, but was always picked last. I didn't care, I just wanted to play baseball/basketball, etc.

In Jr. High, I was hanging with what would be considered the "stoner group" since my best friends were into that group (girls by now). Eventually I pissed one off so much, she had another girl (older) beat me up while waiting for my parents to pick me up. I was so scared to go to school, my parents weren't able to get help from the school. They ignored her complaints and worries. They started to pick me up from a different part of school. I began doing track in the 8th grade. Throwing shot put and discus. It helped. I had sport minded friends.

In High school, I dived into school, trying to find my niche and found track was it. I was awarded a Varsity letter my freshman year. The only thing I could think of while I walked up to the podium was, "this is for all the F---ing people who said fat people couldn't do whatever" I was so proud! I continued with it, lettering my sophomore year as well. Junior year came and first day of practice I blew my knee. :explode: I do remember being in the weight room, when I was a freshman. I was doing the bench press and I wanted to see how heavy I could go. My coach slapped on 150 lb and I put it up 2 times. I remember looking around and all the guys were drop jawed! I felt great!

After getting that letterman's jacket, I didn't let anyone bother me by being called fat. I proved I was able to do anything (well I avoided running at all costs still). I still think about those *kitten* hats that teased me and made me feel awful, and THAT is what powers me now. And yes, I hold grudges, for a very Looooooonnnnnnnng time.

Its "stay puft"

NicoleElen

I was bullied big time. I wasn't fat, but I have always had a double chin. So they called me "DC" or what's up double chin. I was bullied incessantly all through middle and high school for one thing or another. Made me a stronger person. It is so hurtful now that I see it happening to my son.

dragonfly74

Yes, I was bullied by one girl I didn't even know. She never gave me a reason but hated me anyway. I kept to myself. One day she got me in the bathroom by myself in high school and threatened me something awful. That was it. Fortunately, I never had to deal with her or something like that again. So many people are angry nowadays and take it out on anyone around them. Very sad. Not sure how I as a parent will handle it when/if (most likely when) my children are bullied.

poseidon9447

I was actually made fun out of for being real skinny. I did not put on weight until my 20's, Then I was "normal" for a few years then in my late 20's is when I got fat.

InvictusPhoenix

Wasn't bullied too badly- only by a couple specific people, but i was an outcast until the summer before senior year.
Freshman year: got a skateboard swung at my face because i was "already ugly anyways and it might fix me"
sophmore: got my braces- god that was fun
junior: ditched by my date as a joke on homecoming
summer between junior and senior year: got cut (lost 35 pounds), grew my hair out long(i'd had it cut like a "rockers" short in back, long up front and dyed red purple- went blonde), braces off, lost the acne, changed how i dressed and held myself
senior year and beyond: hottie-with-a-body who has a complete hatered of bullies (completely the one to call people out on being an *kitten*)
Now? 3 years later? I haven't been to my hometown for more than a week since I graduated. Usually people don't recognize me
***all of these are the reasons for my obsession with the poem invictus***

acstansell

I've been bullied for as long as I can remember. I've always been a chunky kid, it runs in my family, and also being abnormally smart and into books makes you a target. It was even subversive from certain family members and teachers who only made it worse. I however, also have a temper, and due to being bullied - if you push me too far, I tend to push back.

Examples, you ask?
- I put a kid in a headlock in 2nd grade and made him pass out because he called me fat.
- I threw a pencil at a kid in 4th grade because he called me a whale.

- Junior high was bad - that awkward time when you're not grown into your body yet and your greasy, with bad hair and bad clothes. I was seriously depressed and never smiled. I barely spoke.

Examples from high school:
- I was sexually harassed and bullied by an upperclassmen in 9th grade. I took it up the chain of command, because I wasn't the only one, and they refused to do anything about it because he was an athlete. I told them that if he did it again and I felt threatened I would take action to protect myself and if they tried to punish me, I would sue. This kid got up in my face, spit in my face, and called me a fat B and asked me if I wanted to get F'd in the A. I shoved him through two rows of desks in to a wall so hard I knocked the wind out of him and gave him a knot in the back of his head. I told him if he spoke to me again, I'd cut off his member and shove it done his throat. I also got him fired from his place of employment.
- When I was a Junior, a Senior in my class walked up behind me with a wad of masking tape and stuck it in my hair. After I sat there and pulled it out, I got duct tape, walked up behind him and slapped him in the back of the head so hard, I slammed his face into his desk. I then smeared the duct tape in his hair. He had glue in his hair the rest of the day.
- Finally when I was a Senior, a guy who was a wrestler in the heaviest weight division (at least 380) called me Fatty McMitchell (my maiden name) when I was leaving a class and he was coming into it. Never mind the fact that we both couldn't fit through the door. I looked at the kid and said, in front of a teacher "Shut the F up Lou." That's the Fat a** pot calling the F'n kettle black" Now sit down in a desk, if you can fit." The teacher laughed.

I'll be honest, I look back on these situations and while I know my actions are really no better than theirs, I'm proud that I was able to stand up for myself. But those scars never heal, and no matter how skinny I get, how fit I get - I'll always be the fat little girl on the playground no one wanted to play with. I just wish people knew the damage they do to others....

sc1572

Not bullied at school, but I took some blows from dance. My company teacher would stop the music and tell me to suck in my stomach before we began again. Some of the other girls said they were mad we couldn't wear mid drift tops because of me and a few other girls. Lastly, I heard whispering how I looked pregnant in my leotard.

Hated it.

NeverGivesUp

My mother (who was also overweight) would go through the trash can and ask me why I ate certain things in the house. I hated her for it and it made me want to eat a million times more. It was so humiliating. Hypocrites are the worst!! I have MANY issues with my mother to this day. I took care of my grandmother (her mother) just before she died. I then saw where the weight thing came from. We fed my grandmother very well and every meal she would say "you're going to make me fat", this coming from a lady that used more butter than bread and would only drink coke, no water. I guess if you are not aware and honest about how it affects you, then you will most likely recreate it with your own children. I am trying to live by example. Like someone else said, I met a wonderful man who loves me unconditionally. When he met me I was at my height at 230lbs and I am only 5'3".

There was a really mean girl in Junior High when I was 12 years old. She was new to the school and I tried to be friends with her. Soon she made is clear that she wanted to be one of the popular girls so she climbed up the ladder till she got there. Eventually she became super mean and would call me awful names. She told me that she was ugly and couldn't change that but I had the choice to be fat. Mind you, I was a little plump but I was NOT fat at that point in my life. She had a guy that followed her like a puppy dog and protected her. One day I started fighting back verbally calling her dogess and ugly. She hit me one day in science class and the teacher didn't see it and no one believed me. I actually got in trouble for hitting her back. My dad told me to beat the crap out of her when no one was looking and then deny it. Hehehe. I felt completely helpless and no one believed me or protected me. I turned into a very depressed teenager who was extremely insecure about her body. I did entertain thoughts of killing myself. My parents ended up sending me away to a school in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Idaho to get me out of my environment. I still have mixed feelings about that school but I did find music there which saved my life, literally.

Silverstar46

One of my first moments of being bullied happened in kindergarten. An older child (2nd or 3rd grade) who was BIG sat on me because "I was fat". I rememeber going home bawling to my Mom because first of all this really heavy child SAT on me and he tore my picture I'd made for her, and I was being called mean names by all the boys in the back of the bus.

I used to get "thunder thighs" "Free Willy" "fatty" "Fatso" all that ****. It got a little better in HS, a lot of the boys were too busy chasing after cute girls to bother too much. But it still happened enough that I never did let my guard down.

I used to skip lunch every day until my senior year because I didn't want anyone making fun of me for eating. Even though we all have to eat, I felt like I wasn't allowed because I KNEW someone would say/think something mean.