Better Health, Better Learning Report - July 2017 SCORE Better Health Better Learning Report_July 20 | Page 10

Economists have found that study participants with higher levels of educational
attainment reported lower rates of common acute and chronic diseases—including
heart conditions, stroke, hypertension, unhealthy cholesterol levels, emphysema,
diabetes, asthma attacks, and ulcers. Physical and mental function is also better
for people with higher levels of education. People with higher levels of education
are also substantially less likely to report that they
are in poor health or that they experience anxiety or
depression. 23
In West Virginia, the
effects of childhood
obesity cost low-
income school districts
nearly $1,400 more
per student for
instructional needs.
Source: GENYOUth
Foundation, 2013
Mental and emotional health are critical for student
success. Nationally, 20 percent of adolescents
between the ages of 13 and 18 have a mental health
issue severe enough to negatively affect their daily
functioning, but nearly two-thirds of these adolescents
do not receive mental health services. 24 In Tennessee,
one in five children ages 2 to 17 has at least one
emotional, behavioral, or developmental condition. 25
Students suffering from mental illness have a greater
likelihood of failing across all subject areas.
Improving student health leads to short- and long-term economic benefits. Student
illness may lead to parents needing to take time off work, which can result in lost
wages and decreased productivity. Costs of care are paid by families, health care
providers, and in some cases, public assistance programs. Nationally, among
insured children, health care costs for those who are obese run three times that of
their non-obese peers. 26 In Tennessee, according to the Governor’s Foundation for
Health and Wellness, treatment of preventable and chronic disease costs citizens $6
billion a year. 27 Addressing these conditions at an early age would lead to improved
wellness and productivity of Tennesseans, as well as reduce the financial burden of
paying for treatments.
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