Carrying heavy bags adversely impact students’ health

Research has proven that carrying heavy school bags will have adverse impact on students’ health as they enter into adulthood.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends students to carry only 10 percent of their body weight. For instance, if a child weighs 20 kilogram, then the child should carry only around 2 kilograms of weight.

Children use backpacks everyday to get their books back and forth from the school. Many students carry larger school bags with excessive weight. While some parents help carry the school bags, most carry on their own.

Doctors say carrying heavy bags cause neck and back pain, shoulder strain, and fatigue amongst others.

“Because when they carry a heavy bag what they do is they tend to bend down too much and they look little short. Otherwise it will have not much of effect. But as in general, I do get patients with backaches, be it students or office goers and they are mostly to do with their bad postures,” said Dr. Kuenzang Dorji, the Spine Surgeon at the national referral hospital.

Some students said, they feel tired carrying heavy bags as they need to take their books home for revision.

“I think it would affect me. Before, when I keep my books in the class, I miss some subjects taught because when I reach home I get tired and feel sleepy.”

Considering it as an emerging issue, Dr. Kunzang Dorji plans to create awareness to students and officer goers on ergonomics. Ergonomics is a study of people in their working environment.

“I have this plan for a very long time where we could give education to schools, go to the offices and give lectures regarding their postures. Because in the long run, being a spine surgeon, I have to see all the cases. So, this is my concern in the future.”

He said around 90 percent of the patients visit him due to back pain, relating to bad posture and carrying heavy weight.

Meanwhile the research finding also says carrying bags improperly, like hanging bags on one shoulder, can also add to the problem.

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