Its damage to health is well known but obesity could take a heavy toll on a child’s grades.
At least six studies have found that boys and girls who are dangerously overweight do worse at school than others – with girls particularly affected.
Researcher Anne Martin says the effect is big enough to make a difference to grades and urged teachers to think about the effects of obesity on their pupils.
It is unclear why being overweight harms academic success but possible reasons include fat children being written off by teachers and obesity slowing the development of the brain.
Bullying may also take a heavy toll, especially on girls.
Around half of the studies showed that children who became obese or who stayed obese did worse in maths over time.
The studies also suggested that the effects aren’t instant.
Girls may be particularly vulnerable, with a British study showing that those who were obese at 11 did less well in maths, science and English at 16.
The effect was big enough to make the girls drop down from an average grade C to a D, the UK Congress on Obesity heard.
Miss Martin of Edinburgh University said it was possible that girls were more psychologically scarred by the bullying that fat children often suffer.
CREDIT: Mail Online
