High School Socioeconomic Status Shapes Adult Body Weight: A Lifelong Effect
Based on: Frisco, M. L., Van Hook, J., Swisher, R. R., & Jacobs, J. A. (2025). High school contexts and midlife body weight. Social Science & Medicine.
A person’s socioeconomic status (SES) during high school is closely tied to their adult weight, with particularly strong effects seen in women. Educational environments, especially those extending beyond a college degree, play a long-term role in shaping lifelong health.
This study tracked a sample of students who were in their junior and senior years of high school in 1980, following them into their early 50s. The researchers found a strong link between SES during high school and body mass index (BMI) in midlife. This relationship remained even after accounting for college education, academic performance, and weight during high school. Those with higher SES in adolescence were more likely to maintain a healthy body weight as adults.
The researchers argue that high school is not merely a place of academic learning but a formative environment that influences both mental and physical health over the long term. While it is already well established that educational attainment is linked to adult health and weight outcomes, this new study emphasizes that early SES—especially as shaped by the high school experience—has a deep and lasting impact.
For women and girls, the pressure to maintain a certain body image in society is often stronger than it is for men. Women are often viewed as objects of sexual admiration by men. This can intensify concerns around weight and appearance. Because of this, girls with higher social and economic support during adolescence may be better positioned to maintain a healthy body throughout their lives.
In essence, the influence of high school extends far beyond the teenage years. Social and economic factors during high school can shape adult health and weight, especially for women. Personally, I think this may be because high school experiences can have long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health.
This conclusion highlights the need for early interventions focused on mental health and social support during school years. If high school SES can affect long-term health, then schools should be recognized not just as educational institutions, but as critical players in public health.
Supporting equitable and healthy school environments goes beyond helping students get into college—it can contribute to better lifelong physical and mental health for everyone. What happens in high school doesn’t just stay in high school. The habits, experiences, and social roles formed during those years can continue to shape health outcomes well into adulthood.
So for teenagers, it may be just as important to reflect on their place in the social fabric of school, not just their math and English grades or dating life. Developing a good sense of social life, social support, a sense of belonging, and self-worth in school can have lifelong effects.