Reminder to parents: heavy bags hurt backs
For all you students who are still enjoying your summer holidays, you may not want to be reminded that school starts soon but this next story is one every parent should see before hitting the streets hunting for back to school supplies, and the emphasis is on back.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Theeyy?rre baaacckk…It?s amazing that after a hard day on the job, these students still have the energy to go berserk for the camera. But even more impressive is the fact that these schoolyard warriors can still lug home those big bags.
And what the heck is in those things anyway?…Ostensibly school books and supplies, and just to be sure, our friends at the Book Centre filled our shopping basket with the needs of a Standard One student.
(Putting books in shopping basket)
Janelle Chanona
?And we?re just getting started.?
(Putting books in school bag)
Janelle Chanona
“And if the bag wasn?t heavy enough, now I got to add my lunch.”
So how much does all of this weigh? A whopping nineteen pounds…but according to Standard Five student Patrick Meighan, not only does his bag weigh just as much, it?s no big deal.
Janelle Chanona
?And you bring this bag with you everyday??
Patrick Meighan, Student
?Everyday.?
Janelle Chanona
?And it noh hurt you??
Patrick Meighan
?No, only one time.?
Janelle Chanona
?What happened that time??
Patrick Meighan
?I neva use to it.?
And according to school officials, the heavy bags are only going to get heavier.
Bernadine Pollard, Ag. Principal, St. Luke Methodist
?I have noticed that some bags, yes, have a load. But basically most of the children have not gotten their texts as yet, so…?
Janelle Chanona
?So they?re going to get heavier??
Bernadine Pollard
?I guess so.?
Principal Pollard says if more parents took an interest in their children, the everyday burden could be much lighter.
Bernadine Pollard
?What can happen to alleviate that heavy bag, parents can get involved with their child?s daily activity at school and help them to plan for the next day by going through the class schedule and selecting the books for the next day and just bringing those books to school, unless the teacher requests from them that they bring other books with them for the day.?
But while relief might come in small amounts that way, the bigger picture here is that this ?innocent? practice can be dangerous.
According to physical therapist, Harold Zuniga, the load Belizean students cart around is an abuse to the spine.
Harold Zuniga, Physical Therapist
?Between seven-years-old, let?s say six to fourteen is one of the most crucial times in a person?s life, because that?s when the spine decides whether it?s going to be curved, like this or straight. A lot of the changes in the spine takes place, especially closer to the onset of puberty, which is for most Belizean children between twelve and fourteen.?
?Later on in life the children suffer permanent damage to some parts of the upper back, up in here. It causes the back to curve forward too much, so you find a lot of kids by the time they reach Standard Six, or First Form are already walking like this with their shoulders pulled forward because they have to do that to try to compensate. And then, we?re getting children or young people suffering low back pain early now.?
If your child is already showing signs of the cave man walk, there are a few simple techniques that can make a difference.
Harold Zuniga
?The straps on the bag have to be adjusted so that it fits the child and doesn?t really hang down on the back, so that it is held up on the shoulders. Because these are supposed to come up closer to the top of the back rather than way down here, and a lot of kids wear them all the way down on the bottom. And that creates a lot of strain on the lower back.?
?What children can do if they?ve started humping already or going hunchback already, is to stand against a wall with a book on their head and practice postural exercises; sitting up straight, holding up their heads, looking straight, focusing on an object and stuff like that. All of this should be taught by the Physical Education Department in schools, but we no gat that, so.?
So, in the end the lesson learnt is that less is more…the less you carry around on your back, the less damage you are doing to your back.
This story was first broadcast in September of 2002.
