<p>Some 82 per cent of children in the age group of five to 12 years carry school bags which weigh over 35 per cent of their body weight, a survey has found.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This “excessive weight” can lead to higher risk of back pain and stress among children, it said.<br /><br />Delhi is leading in the survey of metros where many children are forced to carry as much as over 35 per cent of their own weight on their back.<br /><br />According to the Children’s School Bag Act 2006, a schoolbag should not weigh more than 10 per cent of a child’s weight and schools violating provisions under this Act are liable to pay a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh.<br /><br />Severe back pain<br /><br />The national survey done by business chamber Assocham is titled ‘Heavy school bags causing children severe back pain’. <br /><br />It says nearly 58 per cent children below the age of 10 suffer from mild back pain. This can develop into chronic pain and later a hunchback.<br /><br />“Excessive and uneven loads have been linked to an increased risk of back problems and deformation of the spine. Stress from excess weight may harm and affect growth of musculo-skeletal system,” said Dr B K Rao, chairman of the Assocham health committee. <br /><br />The survey was conducted in 10 cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Dehradun, where more than 2,000 pupils and 2,000 parents were interviewed. <br /><br />At least 1,500 children surveyed below the age of 12 years said they could not sit properly without support and suffered from orthopaedic problems, and 40 per cent were physically inactive.<br /><br />Several parents complained that with seven to eight periods in a day, children are forced to carry books for all classes as schools do not have any locker facility.<br /><br />“Children, especially girls, should not carry anything weighing more than 10 per cent of their body weight. Parents should monitor their children when they are packing their bags. Also, schools must discourage students from carrying extra books,” added Rao.</p>
<p>Some 82 per cent of children in the age group of five to 12 years carry school bags which weigh over 35 per cent of their body weight, a survey has found.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This “excessive weight” can lead to higher risk of back pain and stress among children, it said.<br /><br />Delhi is leading in the survey of metros where many children are forced to carry as much as over 35 per cent of their own weight on their back.<br /><br />According to the Children’s School Bag Act 2006, a schoolbag should not weigh more than 10 per cent of a child’s weight and schools violating provisions under this Act are liable to pay a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh.<br /><br />Severe back pain<br /><br />The national survey done by business chamber Assocham is titled ‘Heavy school bags causing children severe back pain’. <br /><br />It says nearly 58 per cent children below the age of 10 suffer from mild back pain. This can develop into chronic pain and later a hunchback.<br /><br />“Excessive and uneven loads have been linked to an increased risk of back problems and deformation of the spine. Stress from excess weight may harm and affect growth of musculo-skeletal system,” said Dr B K Rao, chairman of the Assocham health committee. <br /><br />The survey was conducted in 10 cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Dehradun, where more than 2,000 pupils and 2,000 parents were interviewed. <br /><br />At least 1,500 children surveyed below the age of 12 years said they could not sit properly without support and suffered from orthopaedic problems, and 40 per cent were physically inactive.<br /><br />Several parents complained that with seven to eight periods in a day, children are forced to carry books for all classes as schools do not have any locker facility.<br /><br />“Children, especially girls, should not carry anything weighing more than 10 per cent of their body weight. Parents should monitor their children when they are packing their bags. Also, schools must discourage students from carrying extra books,” added Rao.</p>
