A new study in the latest edition of Obesity found that obese grade-school children miss more school than their less-plump counterparts, prompting Tufts medical school professor Michael Dansinger to offer his thoughts on why.

"Obese children are often teased and bullied by other children, and this could certainly lead to extra days of missed school," said Dansinger, while eating a Big Mac (not really) in his Boston campus office. "The most immediate problem for obese children is the reduced self-image and insecurity caused by explicit teasing or implicit disapproval from peers."

According to the article, even when researchers controlled for other factors like race, ethnicity, crappy public school systems, and income, obesity stuck out like a beer belly as the main reason for staying home. So maybe Dansinger is on to something.

Wait, fat kids get made fun of in school and that makes them so sad they stay home and eat Ding Dongs in front of the TV? They don't call that round kid "Tubby McTubberson" because he likes taking baths?