For all of my childhood, I was considered "overweight." Whether it was my food choices or just genetics I'm not sure, but I was okay with it. I was a happy kid and I enjoyed life and everything it had to offer. As I started to get older, people like family friends, coaches, and peers would say things to me or my parents about my weight. 

During my teenage years, I was very confrontational. I was also very angry and embarrassed to be in my body. This anger and shame, encouraged me to yell at and hate the strangers I caught staring at me in public places. 

This week marks GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week, a week organized by educators and students to put a stop to name-calling and bullying in schools. Being teased or bullied about weight is emerging as a risk factor in many eating disorders. Additionally, LGBTQ+ individuals are at higher risk of eating disorders due to stigma, discrimination, and body image distress.

Today marks PACER’s 2017 Unity Day! Now is a time to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion, and pledge to create a world without bullying. When we stand together, no one stands alone!

Below, three of our writers shared their experiences with bullying, as well as tips on how to protect yourself. 

Eating disorders disproportionately affect members of the LGBTQ+ community and bullying can serve as one factor in the development of an eating disorder. As a whole, LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to experience bullying at school, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and property damage. 

I was born 3 months pre-mature, weighing 1 pound, 9 ounces. As a result of being born pre-maturely, I have mild cerebral palsy that affects how I walk. Growing up with a physical disability was very difficult; every day at school I was verbally and physically bullied. This bullying took a severe toll on my mental health and affected how I felt about myself. I was very depressed, I didn’t like myself, and I believed that no one else liked me. I didn’t really have any friends, just “acquaintances”; I felt very lonely and I often dreaded going to school. 

Hi everyone – Steph & Tori, NEDA Communications interns here! It’s National Bullying Prevention Month and today, we’d like to discuss bullying and weight-shaming in schools – a huge epidemic in today’s modern society. Bullying about weight and size stirs up negative emotions and can lead students to form a negative body image. Unfortunately, negative body image often plays a major role in triggering disordered eating and full-fledged eating disorders among pre-adolescent and adolescent children. 

In honor of World Eating Disorders Action Day, NEDA is hosting a Twitter chat to explore the relationship between body shaming, bullying and eating disorders. Join us Thursday, June 2nd at 1PM ET and follow #WeDoAct. 

Body Shaming, Bullying and Eating Disorders

Note: This article was originally written for and published on the Proud2Bme site.

The Internet has a bad reputation. With the click of a button, we can easily hurt one another, whether it be in regards to race, sex, religion, or appearance.