Going back to school with too many books and the wrong school bag could cause a real pain.
| People might say shes a wee nerd wearing her schoolbag over two shoulders. |
According to chiropractor Dr. Kevin Loughlin many students are carrying too much weight in their school bags, risking injury to their backs.
The lack of space and cost of lockers are common problems faced by many schools and pupils. A number of schools have recognised that children have a heavy load to carry and many actively promote the use of specially designed school bags to minimise the risk of back injury.
The National Back Pain Association (NBPA) suggests that, ideally, a school bag should weigh no more that 20 percent of a childs body weight.
Over the decades schoolbags have increased in weight, Dr. Loughlin said. There is evidence that many school children are carrying too much weight in their school bags and have incurred injury or risk injury to their backs.
He added: The human skeleton doesnt really form completely until a person is between 19 and 22 years old, so you can actually create physical change in a person by overloading their spine and overloading their capacity to carry weights.
The NBPA has designed a well-padded school bag that is to be worn on both shoulders. Dr. Loughlin supports this move but also feels that school authorities and educationalists should develop systems and schedules for the children so that their schoolbags arent too heavy.
Schoolbags worn on both shoulders may minimise the risk of injury to a person but Margeruite McNeill (15) thinks it could be difficult to convince young people of the benefits.
Its just the way the fashion is. You know everybody is afraid to do something different because then they might get called outcasts, be seen as outcasts, she said.
Mairead Duffy (15) agreed: People might say shes a wee nerd wearing her schoolbag over two shoulders.
However both teenagers realise if they do not address the problem now they will pay for it later.
We need role models, we could put a story into our school newspaper, raise the issue more through the media and make sure the parents know about it, Mairead added.
About the team
This article was produced by editors Margeruite McNeill and Mairead Duffy, both 15. It was published in The Irish News.
