High School Experiences Linked to Adult Weight, Especially for Women, Study Finds

markrenngont

High schools have long been seen as crucial in shaping students’ futures, but new research suggests their influence might extend even further—into midlife health outcomes like body weight. A recent study led by researchers from Penn State, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Minnesota reveals that high school experiences may be significantly associated with how much a person weighs decades later.

Published in Social Science and Medicine, the study found that attending private schools, being enrolled in schools with greater socioeconomic resources, taking advanced academic courses, and being socially popular were all linked to having a healthier body weight at midlife. These associations remained even when accounting for later educational achievements such as earning a college degree or attending a selective institution.

https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3290/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3291/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3292/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3293/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3294/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3295/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3296/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3297/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3307/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3306/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3305/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3304/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3303/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3302/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3301/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3300/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3299/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3298/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3317/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3316/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3315/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3314/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3313/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3312/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3311/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3310/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3309/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3308/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3327/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3326/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3325/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3324/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3323/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3322/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3321/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3320/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3319/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3318/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3337/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3336/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3335/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3334/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3333/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3332/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3331/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3330/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3329/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3328/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3347/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3346/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3340/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3339/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3356/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3355/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3353/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3352/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3351/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3350/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3349/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3348/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3367/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3365/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3362/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3359/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3358/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3372/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3370/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3386/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3384/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3383/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3382/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3380/1
https://www.ediogames.com/fr/forum/topic/3379/1
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/love-island-hack-unlimited-gems-tickets-mod-ios-android-2025/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/golf-battle-hack-get-unlimited-gems-coins-ios-android-2025/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/monster-legends-hack-mod-apk-2025-unlimited-gems-and-gold-android-ios/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/last-z-survival-shooter-hack-2025-get-unlimited-diamonds-android-ios/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/travel-town-hack-get-unlimited-free-coins-gems-iphone-android-2025/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/caesars-slots-hack-get-unlimited-free-coins-iphone-android/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/chikii-cloud-game-hack-mod-2025-unlimited-coins/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/webtoon-hack-how-to-get-unlimited-coins-free-in-webtoon-2025/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/pocket-fm-hack-mod-how-to-get-unlimited-coins-in-pocket-fm-2025/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/new-update-chikii-mod-2025-unlimited-coins-money/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/match-masters-hack-2025-get-free-unlimited-coins-boosters/
http://playingwithsuperpower.com/forum/general-gaming-discussion/get-infinite-coins-in-dream-league-soccer-2025/



Lead author Michelle Frisco, professor of sociology and demography at Penn State and faculty member at the Social Science Research Institute, emphasized the importance of looking beyond formal credentials to better understand how education shapes long-term health.

“There’s a long history of research connecting educational degrees to adult health, but what often gets overlooked is the full educational journey that leads to those degrees—much of which starts in high school,” Frisco said.

The team used data from the High School & Beyond Study, launched in the 1980s by the National Center for Education Statistics, along with follow-up data from participants in their early 50s. They analyzed how various academic, social, and personal experiences during high school were linked to body mass index (BMI) in midlife.

The findings showed a particularly strong connection between early educational experiences and adult weight for women. For women, popularity in high school, family and school socioeconomic status, and the academic track they followed were significant predictors of BMI later in life. Even when accounting for multiple factors in their analysis, these variables remained strongly associated with midlife weight.

Frisco noted that societal expectations surrounding weight—especially for women—may help explain these differences. “Women and girls are subject to more pressure to be thin, and they may be more influenced by the norms and behaviors modeled in their families, peer groups, and schools,” she said.

The researchers suggest that families and schools with higher socioeconomic status may foster health-conscious behaviors and norms around physical activity and body image, giving students a long-term advantage in avoiding obesity.

“These social influences on health begin early—starting with family and continuing into school environments,” Frisco said.

At the time the study participants were in high school, only about 5% of U.S. students were classified as obese. That figure has since quadrupled. Frisco said the study implies that some high school environments and experiences may have played a protective role against this dramatic rise in obesity over the past four decades.

“Our research can help inform school programs and policies aimed at promoting lifelong health and well-being,” she said.

Looking ahead, the team plans to investigate whether similar patterns are found in more recent generations of students. They also aim to explore how educational experiences impact other long-term health outcomes.

Study co-authors include Emily Lybbert and Chandra Muller from the University of Texas, Eric Grodsky from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and J. Robert Warren from the University of Minnesota.