Abstract
Obesity is a major public health problem with associated economic costs that may include academic costs incurred by obese grade school students. Previous research has indicated that gender, discrimination, and self-esteem play prominent roles. Early Childhood Longitudinal Study K-8 Full Sample Data File, 2009 Kindergarten Class 1998-99 (ECLS-K) National Center for Education Statistics U.S. Department of Education The academic cost of obesity varies by gender and academic subject. Obese girls and boys have significantly lower subject test scores than normal weight peers, especially in gender-specific academic strengths. Obese students from ethnic groups with a low obesity rate have significantly lower test scores than normal-weight same-group peers, which is not true for high obesity rate ethnic groups. The effects of diet and obesity on test scores are largely independent of one another. Self-concept is a mechanism by which obesity effects test scores.