Kerala: Overweight students may end up with low grades

Kochi: While the junk food industry mainly target children, mounting evidences point to a relationship between obesity and their poor performance at school. Several schools in the state are conducting frequent awareness programmes for students and parents against this danger.

Haridas P, principal of MSS Public School, Vengeri, and secretary of Malabar region Sahodaya CBSE School Complex, says schools have a unique opportunity to lead the fight on obesity.

“At MSS Public School, we compulsorily instructs students to bring home-made food to school. At the same time, giving a proper awareness, mainly to parents, is the prime solution to tackle the issue. With the advent of fried chicken and similar products easily available in the markets, children are tempted into artificial tastes,” he said.

“Researches have proved that obesity is associated with poorer academic performance beginning as early as kindergarten. What we have noticed all these years teaching students is that, obese students, especially girls, tend to lower academic performance. Experts have also suggested that students who are struggling with their weight and moving towards having metabolic syndrome may have lower grades”.

Hi-Tech Public School, Vatakara, principal Bindu B. says fast food or junk food was dominant dietary staple of many foreign children.

“The culture is picking up in Kerala and results in increased obesity. Consumption of fat-dense, sugary meals and snacks get increased acceptance. In our school, during health day, food day and the similar occasions we give maximum awareness to students to make them understand the problems associated with their consumption,” she said.

Murali P, a teacher at the Koyilandy Boys HS, says it may be the pressure on them to improve academic performance of children that has led many schools to adopt certain policies such as eliminating recess or reducing the number of physical education (PE) classes that put children at greater risk of obesity.

“The cases of high obesity are very rarely found in government schools as students here are getting more opportunity to be exposed to various physical education activities,” he said.