Heavy school bags & CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Health experts have consistently raised red flags about the physical strain of heavy school bags on children, leading to back, neck, and posture-related problems

- Dr. Tarun Singh

As the new academic year 2025-26 starts across the health country, a familiar sight returns — schoolchildren bent under the weight of heavy backpacks, trudging their way to school. Studies have found that most children carry school bags weighing more than 15 per- cent of their body weight. Despite guidelines issued by several states to reduce bag wei— including limiting textbooks, encouraging digital learning, and introducing locker facili- ties — implementation is patchy and uneven in schools countrywide.

Health experts have consistently raised red flags about the physical strain of heavy school bags on children, leading to back, neck, and posture-related problems. Children experiencing rapid physical growth and neurological development are highly vulnerable. Dr. Tarun Singh, pediatrician-consultant at Kalpavriksh Health-care, Medeor Hospital and Max Hospital, Gurugram, spoke to PW’s Kiran Balimane about the adverse effects of heavy bags upon children’s physical well-being and health.

“A heavy school bag exerts disproportionate- ate stress on children’s spine, muscles, joints and impairs orderly physical development. A recent study published in Pediatrics & Education Review found that over 60 percent of children under six experience mild to severe back pain linked to heavy school bags. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting bag weight to avoid long-term spinal health issues.