How To Carry A BackPack

Yup. This is actually a fairly serious issue amongs Malaysian primary and secondary school students. Thanks to the Sun, here's a checklist for backpack safety as well as some tips on "How to Carry a Backpack".
The Sun also interviewed a chiropractor, Dr Christopher Ries on the impact of improperly carried bags.

"The body is a bio-mechanical machine designed to withstand physical stress, so backpacks must be worn securely to become part of the body," he said.

"It must be worn tight and high and the load should be on both shoulders as it can affect the muscles that support the shoulders and mid-back of the spine, especially if the backpack is slung on one side. A lot of the muscles in the area are not designed for heavy load, especially if the bags are hanging loosely with heavy contents."

"There is no ideal weight as it would depend on the child's size, age and other factors including the activity level, nutrition and how long the weight is borne for... If you carry a load which results in aches and pains, the load is too much so you make necessary adjustments like reducing the load or the time you carry it.

"It must be remembered that when the muscles fatigue, the joint takes over and it is not designed to handle too much stress."

I wonder if the day will come whereby our kids will only be carrying and reading e-books...