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shared by Rania El-Sorrogy on 18 Jan 10 -

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Dec. 3, 1999
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nearly 35% of Italian schoolchildren carry more than 30% of their body weight at least once a week, which exceeds the limits proposed for adults
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The average load carried by the students in their backpacks weighed more than 20 pounds, with the maximum load tipping the scales at 36 pounds. The researchers found, on average, the backpacks accounted for 22% of the kids' bodyweight, and often it was far higher.
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To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of a 180-pound man lugging around a minimum of 40 pounds for a large part of the day, or a 120-pound woman carrying about 26 pounds. The National Institute for Safety and Health in the U.S. recommend adults lift no more than 51 pounds during the course of a workday. That's lift, not carry for extended periods of time.
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Many schools around the country, because of concerns about security, space, or both, are abolishing lockers. That means kids have to carry their books with them at all times.
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The Italian researchers write that backpacks in their country should generally weigh no more than 10-15% of bodyweight. That mirrors the general attitudes in the U.S., too, although some experts suggest the range should be even lower, around 5-10% of bodyweight.
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