News headlines recently declared things like "traditionally schooled students more obese" and "home schooled students leaner".[1] Advocates of either choice of the teaching, training, and indoctrination of children should be careful, however, before jumping to many conclusions about the connections between physical health and form of education.

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In a careful study, Dr. Michele Cardel and her research colleagues compared the relationships among diet, physical activity, and adiposity between homeschooled children (HSC) and traditionally schooled children (TSC). Participants were 95 children aged 7-12 years, self-identified as non-Hispanic white who were recruited in Birmingham, Alabama. Researchers adjusted statistics for the socioeconomic status of the students.

The main finding that was reported the most by media follows: "Contrary to our hypotheses, TSC reported significantly higher energy intakes (both daily and at lunchtime meals), poorer diet quality, and higher levels of adiposity when compared to HSC ..." (p. 6). In other words, the children attending conventional schools ingested more calories and were more obese than home-educated children.

All parents (and any other concerned person) should keep in mind, however, the researchers' findings that received less attention by the media and therefore general public. First, both HSC and TSC were consuming more calories than needed based on the daily energy need requirements outlined in Dietary Guidelines for Americans. "Significantly" more energy intake by TSC means only that it was a "statistically significant" difference, not that it was a large practical difference in caloric intake by students in conventional schools.

Second, they found this: "Robust measures of physical activity for 7 days indicated that there were no differences in time spent engaged in moderate to physical activity between HSC and TSC. This is consistent with ..." other research (p. 6). That is, the homeschool students were doing not more physical activity.

Third, the researchers reported the following: "Higher intakes of calcium in the traditional school group, however, are beneficial and could be protective against the development of obesity ..., though neither group is reaching current recommendations for daily calcium intakes ..." (p. 6).

It appears that parents of both conventional school and homeschool students need to work more diligently to engage their children in more physical activity, eating fewer calories, and overall better diets. And one must wonder - when more than one-third (34.9%) of U.S. adults were obese in 2011-2012 and the prevalence of obesity was higher among middle-aged adults (39.5%), that is, those with school-age children, than among younger (30.3%) or older (35.4%) adults" [2] - What are parents modelling to their children?

No parent should fall for the notion that simply homeschooling one's child will make him leaner and physically stronger.

Depending on one's worldview, parents might think their and their children's diet, physical activity, and health is not an important issues. From a scriptural perspective, however, it matters much. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." [3]

--Brian D. Ray, Ph.D.

National Home Education Research Institute
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Endnotes:

[1] See, e.g., http://www.medicaldaily.com/traditionally-schooled-students-more-obese-home-schoolers-are-school-lunches-blame-260398 and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131017111406.htm.

[2] Retrieved November 29, 2013 from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db131.htm.

[3] I Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV.