Inventor bags kudos Report by NICK OLLE Physiotherapist Lee Stylianou was so sick of observing the link between bad posture and backpacks that he invented the p-pak, a front-loading bag that promotes good posture. Mr Stylianou cited research claiming 65 per cent of schoolchildren had bad posture and said a number of schools had expressed interest in the bag. He is so sure of the design he has taken extended leave from his Kingsford practice to pursue work on it full-time. "Backpacks inherently make you lean forward to counterbalance the weight and that causes your shoulders, head and neck to become rounded and decreases activity in the lower back muscles," Mr Stylianou said. "The p-pak is designed to be worn on the front of the body and has specially adapted support handles on the front to rest hands." Mr Stylianou had his Australian patent approved last year and has since been trying to garner community and commercial interest in the bag. As well as avoiding the design shortcomings of traditional backpacks, Mr Stylianou said the p-pak offered practical and corrective benefits. "You don't have to take it off to remove items, you can sit on public transport while wearing it and it's harder to steal from," he said. "People say it feels comfortable and light -- saying something is comfortable is layman's terms for saying you're in good posture.                                                                       'One picture is worth a thousand words'                                                                     P-pak            backpack            For detailed information about the "p-pak" log onto their website at                                        www.prefero.com.au