Obesity Tied to Poor Academic Performance in Teen Girls

Obesity has been tied to poor academic performance in teen girls, according to a recent study out of the United Kingdom.

The study, which was published in the International Journal of Obesity, assessed the data of nearly 6,000 teenagers as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Analyzing information on weight status and academic achievement (determined by national test scores) for children ranging from 11 to 16 years old, the researcher identified that 13.3 percent of the children assessed were overweight, and 15.3 percent were obese. The classified anyone with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 as overweight and anyone with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Of these groups, 420 females were overweight, and 466 were obese.

A comparison analysis of weight and academic score revealed that obese girls were more likely to have lower scores than their classmates, compared to average weight girls. Also, girls who stayed overweight from age 11 to 16 proved to maintain lower academic scores throughout their teenage scholastic career, compared to girls of a healthier weight. These patterns were not so obvious in boys.

Interestingly, academic scores in obese girls were worse in core-curriculum classes, averaging a D, compared to other classes, which widely varied. The group average score among obese teenage girls was the academic equivalent to a C.

It should be noted that this study simply set out to provide evidence of a correlation between the factors of weight and academic achievement and did not determine a cause-and-effect relationship.

Still, the researchers urge education officials to consider what factors of obesity could be detrimental to a child's educational experience and how they can be addressed.

The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity for early online access on March 11.