Comment by Moldoteck
1 year ago
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