When it comes to the health and education of children in this country, most school districts aren’t going to cut spending on the latter to provide a better food choice for kids (who, most likely, choose the competitive lunch items instead, e.g. pizza, soft pretzels, vending machine items). However, districts need to start brainstorming; childhood obesity is not only a major health concern, but now, new research suggests it leads to poorer math performance. Looks like it’s not one or the other, after all.
A study published in the journal Child Development found obese elementary school children performed worse on math tests than their peers of normal weights. Researchers believe the lower test scores could be due to lack of social acceptance, which can lead to loneliness, sadness, and anxiety that can hinder academic performance.
“Children who have weight problems are not as well-received by their peers. That creates a condition or situation where developing social skills isn’t as easy,” said Sara Gable, the study’s lead author and an associate professor in the department of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
According to the study, it gets worse as children progress through school, and it’s worse for girls than boys. “The stigma of obesity and lack of conformity to standards of physical appearance – girls are perhaps … no pun intended, feeling the weight of that more,” Gable said.
Researchers analyzed data following 6,250 children across the country from kindergarten through fifth grade. They compared the academic performance of students who were obese in kindergarten or first grade through fifth grade with children who were never obese. Teacher reports of children’s interpersonal skills and feelings such as sadness or loneliness were also included.
When children were tested one-on-one in math, obese children began scoring lower than their peers in first grade. Researchers say the timing suggests that the relationship between obesity and poor academic performance takes root as children progress in school.
“Kids who start school with weight problems come to kind of understand that, you know what? Maybe other people don’t like me because of this,” she said. “I don’t believe these children are ‘less smart,’ but I do believe if they’re put into a situation where they’re being expected to perform … they don’t perform as well.”
The study’s findings persisted across all demographics, including parental expectations for their child’s educational achievement.
Teachers also reported that obese children expressed more anxiety and sadness, which could cause students to become less engaged in learning or find classroom situations such as writing on the board in front of their peers “very anxiety producing.”
Other factors related to obesity could be affecting academic performance as well; obesity can cause a number of health conditions that interfere with learning and school attendance. Further research is needed across the board, but one thing is certain: Childhood obesity is not a black and white issue, and it cannot be solved by simply changing up the school lunches. It has more of an effect on children than we can even begin to understand.
When it comes down to school budgets and choosing education over nutrition, it looks like it’s not such a clear choice after all.
