ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Fred Bollaci, author of “The Restaurant Diet” How to Eat Out Every Night and Still Lose Weight was honored last Friday April 13th in St. Petersburg, where he received the “People of Distinction Humanitarian Award.” “For many of us, myself included, weight problems and issues with emotional overeating and distorted self-image start in our formative years. Many people I have worked with, including myself were victims of shaming and bullying because of our weight. This destruction to our psyche and sense of self often carries over into adulthood, and affects our self-perception and ability to be our best selves and deal constructively with our emotions and related weight issues. It is an honor to be able to share the message that bullying and shaming because of weight (or any other reason) is totally unacceptable, and that we are a society are better than this! Tell your children it is NOT ok to pick on, harass, bully, humiliate, or molest another child or human being for any reason, especially because of their physical appearance. Children who endure this kind of abuse often find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place–they eat more due to self-loathing, or they run the risk of resorting to anorexia or bulimia, or even worse addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, or even suicidal tendencies. The other message is if your child suddenly starts gaining weight, there is likely an underlying emotional problem that needs to be addressed. Deal with a small problem early on or risk a much greater problem later,” Bollaci said.