In my master’s thesis, I researched the psychological and social negative effects of overweight which young people face, and how school professionals can help them to reduce or eliminate those. During the internship in coronavirus time in one of the primary schools, I namely witnessed an increase in the proportion of overweight pupils, which, according to teachers, also brought behind a number of unexpected non-health consequences (bad well-being of pupils in class and/or school, social exclusion, peer violence, stigmatization, etc.). In this context teachers wanted to pay a little more attention to how they can deal with consequences of overweight on a personal, psychosocial level.
The results of the research show that overweight children face not only health consequences, but as well many psychosocial consequences, that school professionals are also coping with in coronavirus time. According to them, it is precisely public health measures against the spread of coronavirus that have the effect of increasing the proportion of overweight pupils and their consequent coping with distress, anxiety, low self-esteem and negative self-image, even stigmatization and peer violence.
It turned out that school professionals’ dealing with the problem of overweight pupils requires their cooperation and working as one in caring for the psychophysical health of children, promoting the building of positive self-image of pupils, developing good peer relationships and in preventing peer violence. At the same time, for the well-being and progress of all, it has proved reasonable to provide an emotionally safe school and establish an inclusive classroom climate within it. The results of the analysis also show that social work within the school counseling service can play an important role in tackling the problem of overweight, especially by resolving the emotional and social distress of overweight pupils, with which social workers co-create solutions or desired outcomes in the context of an established working relationship.
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