Comment by eddtests
1 year ago
That’s not unhealthy, that’s good! Carry a moderately heavy bag to and from school is hardly difficult, or shouldn’t be, and that sort of weight will be from larger books meaning older children anyway. We have an obesity crisis in most countries - now is not the time to worry about older children/teenagers carrying a couple kilos for a short period each day.
I cannot remember a single person complaining about a heavy rucksack when I was in school a decade ago - by 13 we had CCF so had to go hiking with much heavier bags on the weekends. At 15.5 you can join the military schools and you’ll be carrying 25kg. This shouldn’t be a worry unless you’re physically disabled or something. Duke of Edinburgh involves hiking 13k a day with all your camping equipment and food at 12 years old over a weekend. Etc…
You'll not solve obesity by forcing them to carry books. On the other hand you can create some deformations on their spinal cord, esp if weight is not distributed correctly.
If you want to solve obesity, invest in education about healthy food and how to cook it, since usually bad food is the reason or extra calories
I wager more children get issues from bad posture on computers than carrying a mildly heavy bag from class to class… Honestly to me the worry of children’s backs carrying a couple textbooks is the epitome of the ‘nanny state’. Say a child has five different classes in a day, that will be five textbooks, some notebooks, a pencil case, and a packed lunch. Maybe also sports clothes. If a child can’t carry that (and I’m thinking 7+ here, but realistically you carry larger text books later in your school life) then they have some health issues already.
If they do have health issues accommodations should be made of course! But the vast majority can carry a couple books.
I agree fighting obesity is not going to be solved by carrying books BUT I think this attitude towards coddling children is partly responsible, along with food as you mention which is also very important.
Edit: Just so this isn’t anecdotal points, here’s a survey that found no evidence backpacks cause issues in children https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/19/1241
How many kids you've seen with spinal cord issues because of schoolbooks? Because afaik it's zero