Obesity August 2007

 

A new study suggests that overweight children tend to miss more days of school than their normal-weight peers -- a fact, researchers say, that could put them at an academic disadvantage.   In a study of more than 1,000 students attending Philadelphia elementary schools, researchers found that overweight children missed an average of 2 extra days out of the school year compared with normal-weight students.

 

This was regardless of the students' age, race or particular school, which suggests that excess weight itself may contribute to missed school days, the researchers report.  The reason for this is not certain, though it's possible that higher rates of certain chronic health problems, like asthma, are a factor. However, it's also likely that social problems are involved, according to the study authors.

 

"At this young age, children are not necessarily experiencing the health problems that will likely confront them later in life unless serious intervention takes place," lead author Andrew B. Geier, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said in a statement.   “ What's keeping them from school, more than heath issues, is the stigma and the bullying that accompanies being overweight."  Besides being overtly bullied, overweight children may fear being embarrassed or left out, Geier and his colleagues note. They might, for example, skip school to avoid a particular physical activity.

 

The study involved 1,069 fourth- through sixth-graders from nine inner-city Philadelphia schools. On average, overweight and obese students missed a dozen school days out of the year, versus 10 among normal-weight children.  Some past studies have shown that heavy children and teenagers tend to fare worse academically than their thinner peers. It's possible that absenteeism has something to do with this discrepancy, the researchers speculate.  While the health and social consequences of childhood obesity have been well-recognized, more studies should now look at the potential academic effects, according to Geier.