The world on their shoulders.

Byline: CONRAD GILCHRIST 20Below News Team / The Register-Gaurd

THROUGHOUT TIME, teens have always felt they've carried a lot of weight on their shoulders: the stress of school, the anxiety of becoming adults, plus dealing with added responsibilities.

In recent years, that burden has become less figurative and more, well, weighty. As in overloaded backpacks.

In 2000, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons report that more than 13,000 students were treated nationwide for sore backs and muscle pain because of heavy backpacks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates nearly 5,000 kids required emergency room visits.

And the number of injuries can be expected to increase, experts say, as students at younger ages carry heavier backpacks longer.

Notebooks, textbooks, calculators, gym clothes, pens and pencils all ride on a pair of shoulders not strong enough to carry that much weight for extended periods of time.

Generally, bags should not weigh more than 15 percent of the student's body weight, experts advise. For some, that's 20 pounds, an amount exceeded easily; some loaded packs weigh up to 40 pounds.

Most student backpacks come equipped with straps across the hip for weight support; wider, more padded straps; or even rollers on the bottom like luggage. But students don't exactly follow the manufacturer's suggestions when it comes to correctly carrying their backpacks. Bags ride too low, students have poor posture or they overstuff the packs.

Students tend to value their emotional security over their physical security. And, believe it or not, roller packs are not terribly cool, so that makes them terribly uncommon.

Asking students to carry their books on a roller is like asking a doctor to rollerblade to work; it isn't going to happen very often.

Pocket-protectors, calculators on belts and roller bags all pretty much fit in the same category - completely taboo for style-worried high-schoolers.

Compounding the problem is that many schools across the nation have either eliminated lockers or have made them unavailable to students because of cost or security issues.

Sheldon High is one such school. Near Sheldon's gym, the words "Home of the Fighting Irish" are posted for all to see. A better title might be "Home of the Sore Backs."

The Sheldon campus is crowded and there is no room to give every student a locker. Deciding who would and would not get lockers would be unfair, and the maintenance costs simply weren't worth it. So Sheldon pulled them out.

And the students have carried the weight of that decision ever since. Is the savings in cost and hassle a fair trade for back pain?

In fairness, Sheldon does offer a bag check: a room in the school where students can keep their books, bags and other things stored. It is run by volunteers, and it's fairly slow and quite annoying. Although not having lockers saves maintenance costs for the school, bag check does not always seem worth the effort for students. If all the students used it, it would be too slow and too crowded to manage.

No one, it seems, has come up with a good solution. But dumping it off on the students' backs isn't the right answer.

A good education follows you for the rest of your life. The same can be said for chronic back pain.

Conrad Gilchrist is a junior at Sheldon High. He can be reached by e-mail at [e-mail].

CHOOSING A BACKPACK

Here are the kinds of backpacks you'll find on the market - and what makes them good or bad.

Traditional

How worn: Two straps, one over each shoulder

Pros: Most popular; weight can be evenly distributed if worn properly

Cons: Kids often sling them over one shoulder, which is bad for the neck and back

Rolling

How worn: You don't wear it; you pull it along

Pros: Takes weight off your back when pulled

Cons: Heavier and harder to get up stairs; some teen-agers think they're geeky

Body Wrap

How worn: A single strap goes over shoulder and across body

Pros: Stylish; carries weight close to body, which is better for the back

Cons: Not as good as two-strap pack for heaviest loads

Shoulder Strap

How worn: A single strap goes over one shoulder, like a purse

Pros: Girls like these in addition to regular backpacks

Cons: Not good for heavy loads; too girly for boys?

- The Washington Post

WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

Wouldn't it be nice if you could have a burro carry all your stuff around? Well, you can't. But here are some things that back doctors and physical therapists recommend.

Lighten the load: Clean out binders and take home only the books that you need that night

Wide straps are better: Get a backpack with wide straps, because they distribute the weight over your shoulders more evenly; be sure to wear both straps rather than slinging the pack over one shoulder; a belt will help transfer weight from the shoulders to the hips

Pack smart: The heaviest items should be packed closest to the back

Bend both knees: When you pick up the pack, don't just bend over at the waist