The youngest member of our team is my daughter, Amelia. She is a high school freshman at Memorial High here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Amelia loves to travel internationally. She has visited or lived briefly in more than eight different countries. One of her favorite countries is China.
Amelia brings a unique perspective to our study because she is closest in age to the target population. As a 15-year-old, she knows firsthand how important peers are. Fitting in and being comfortable with a group of friends means feeling accepted and belonging.
But when middle schoolers are obese or overweight, the teasing and taunting by peers can be cruel and hurtful. It isn't easy to feel a sense of belonging, when your friends say you are "too fat" or treat you badly for being much heavier than they are.
In our study, we intend to create a club-like environment for middle school aged Chinese youth, so that being part of a group and having social support for exercise and healthy living is a given.
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