Escaping the stigma, is there hope for obese adolescents?

Adolescents are teased and stigmatized for having a deviant body size which leads to a poor body image as the adolescent becomes an adult. Society def ines which personal and physical traits are acceptable, and which are devia nt for the general population. Today, persons with invisible stigmas, such as mental patients, escape the consequences of stigma as long as they keep the condition hidden from others. However for persons with visible stigmas like obesity, such escape is impossible. In the past, a round, robust body was an indication of wealth, but today, a person whose body is larger than acceptable suffers from stigmatization based on the visible trait. This pap er will make a case for how the stigmatization of obesity by adults might i mpact adolescent development, both emotional and physical, and how it impai rs the attempts of adolescents at healthy weight management, which includes healthful diet, activity, and body image.