Kids unpopular in school more likely to be obese in middle age: study

London: Being unpopular with classmates will not only make your child’s schooldays miserable, it could also make them ill decades later, a new study has claimed. Researchers at the Umea University in Sweden have found that children who are socially isolated in their schooldays are more likely to suffer health problems from obesity to high blood pressure when they hit their 40s. [caption id=“attachment_360401” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Being socially withdrawn in your teenage years could affect you in your middle age says the study. Reuters”]  [/caption] The legacy of unhappy schooldays, the researchers found, was particularly high among the women studied. Importantly, the health effects weren’t limited to those who were bullied at school, suggesting even being slightly socially isolated can be harmful to health, the Daily Mail reported. In the study, the researchers analysed data from a long term study that tracked the health and habits of around 900 16-year-olds for 27 years. At the start, their teachers were asked to rate how extroverted or introverted they were as well as how popular or unpopular they were. At the age of 43, the participants underwent a battery of medical tests and results showed a strong link between social isolation and unpopularity and a host of health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, bad blood fats and lack of “good” cholesterol. This cluster of problems is known as metabolic syndrome that greatly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, also showed that the more unpopular a person was in their teens, the more likely he or she was to suffer from metabolic syndrome in the middle age. The effect was particularly high among the girls, with the most unpopular and introverted at 16 more than three times as likely to be in bad shape at 43, the researchers said. They also claimed their study was the first to show that unhappy schooldays could have such long-lasting consequences. Various factors could be behind the effect. For instance, loneliness raises levels of the hormone cortisol and can push blood pressure up into the danger zone for heart attacks and strokes, the researchers explained. High levels of cortisol can also suppress the immune system, raising a person’s vulnerability to disease. The lonely also sleep more fitfully, feel lethargic during the day and are more likely to rely on sleeping tablets. Those who feel left out may also resort to comfort eating and be less likely to look after themselves in general, they added. PTI