How Summer Is Making U.S. Kids Dumber and Fatter
After spending the summer away from the classroom, children return to school one month or more, on average, behind where they were when the previous year ended. Kids also tend to put on weight in the summer two to three times faster than they do during the school year.
To put it unkindly, the average child becomes dumber and fatter during the vacation. And although there’s no need to declare war on summer, there’s plenty we could do to combat the seasonal learning loss and weight gain.
So what can we do to fight summer learning loss and weight gain and restore the season’s halcyon reputation? Let’s start with the most ambitious option: lengthening the school year.
photo via flickr:CC | calilily
