Obese adolescent girls have lower academic attainment levels throughout their teenage years, according to a new study. The results of the research conducted by the Universities
of Dundee, Strathclyde, Georgia and Bristol showed that girls who were obese, as measured by BMI (body mass index) at age 11 had lower academic attainment at 11, 13, and 16 years when compared to those with healthy weight. Attainment in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science for obese girls was lower by an amount equivalent to a D instead of a C, which was the average in the sample. There is a clear pattern which shows that girls who are in the obese range are performing more poorly than their counterparts in the healthy weight range throughout their teenage years, said Dr Josie Booth of the School of Psychology at the University of Dundee.
attainment, but it is clear that teenagers, parents, and policymakers in education and public health should be aware of the lifelong educational and economic impact of obesity." The researchers took into account potentially distorting factors such as socio-economic deprivation, mental health, IQ and age of menarche (onset of the menstrual cycle) but found
these did not change the relationship between obesity and academic attainment.