Move Aside Fat and Say Hello to Healthy Solutions

2044 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Points how media influences the eating habits of young people

A student’s stomach growls, and what is to come for lunch is immediately thought of. Will it be the overcooked, dried out pizza pockets, or the cracked, gooey bean burritos? When the student thinks about their empty stomach, filling it with precooked food simply warmed up is anything but satisfying. So, what can be done to fill the empty stomach? The unthinkable: eating a school lunch. Simply entering the school cafeteria is daring enough, but now having to eat the food? How outrageous this seems. The student has given the secretary their lunch number and next has picked out a clean tray. Along with this, a choice of milk of has been selected and then the mound of slump has been placed on their tray. If this is not daring enough, the student subsequently picks up the ‘burger’ and is immediately shocked; the student realizes he is no longer hungry, and proceeds to dump the tray. What seems to be the problem here? School lunches should be appetizing, yet nutritious, right? Do not all schools pursue the food guide pyramid? The answer is no, they do not. Nanci Hellmich brings this to attention, “For many years, school meals have been criticized for their high-fat, overly processed foods and not enough nutrient-rich fare” (2). Does having an unhealthy school lunch have an effect on childhood obesity? The answer is yes. Michelle Obama has a campaign called “Let’s Move” which, “stresses the importance of healthy school meals because many children consume at least half of their daily calories at school” (Dickey 1). Although schools are not expected to solve the childhood obesity problem, it still is a major factor (Paulson 2). Not only do students need a nutritional meal to keep them healthy, but also to help them stay ...

... middle of paper ...

... or pizza pockets can now be switched with freshly grilled hamburgers from local cattle. Dickey reports the reason school lunches are stressed to be healthy is because, “many children consume at least half of their daily calories at school” (1). With an increasing obesity rate in America, a healthy school lunch should be a necessity. Increasing vegetables and fruits in meals, having farmers connect with schools, and making a healthy meal play issued by the USDA and the students are all solutions to fix the unhealthy, yet unlikable school lunches. The best solution to getting healthier, more likeable school lunches is getting chefs to help out with meals. Thus the healthy meals are being prepared with a delicate, artistic look. In the midst of having a nation with high obesity rates, students should always be able to reckon on getting a healthy school lunch.

Show More
Related

  • A Modest Proposal to End Obesity in America

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    If gluttony is one of the seven sins then we have many sinners in America. Obesity is a large problem in this country and more needs to be done to combat obesity. No one good solution, I believe, has been proposed to solve this epidemic. Jonathan Swift had an ingenious proposal to solve the problems of Ireland by feeding the children to the rich, after they reached the age of one. His proposal would have been beneficial because it would have solved many other problems. I have a solution to the obesity in this country that will solve several problems and benefit the country and its people. After people reach maturity and if their stomachs stick out more than 4 inches past their chest cavity, that area between the pectorals, then they should cut this excess flab/flesh and eat it.

    Read More

  • Review of Free For All: Fixing School Food in America by Janet Poppendieck

    1672 Words  | 4 Pages

    Janet Poppendieck is a professor of sociology at Hunter College in New York, and additionally she is the author of several books including her most recent Free for All: Fixing School Food in America. This book centers on America’s recent interest in whether or not our school lunches are healthy. This issue has been put into the spotlight recently through shows such as Jamie Oliver’s School Food Revolution and in the news because recent changes in the Nation School Lunch Program’s dietary guidelines. Poppendieck’s book looks at the in depth reasons into why school lunches have turned into what they are today, what challenges need to be faced in order to fix school lunches, and ultimately how our the system should be fixed. She accomplishes this by interviewing her current college students about their previous school lunch experiences, working in a school cafeteria, interviewing current school employees, and looking at the history and policies of the National School Lunch Program.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Fed Up By Stephanie Soechtig

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    This documentary takes a look at how our school’s lunch programs and government play a role in the spread of obesity across the nation. The film really attempts to drive home the idea that our children are being immorally brainwashed into wanting unhealthy foods. At some points of the film, it appears that the director uses big companies and school lunches as a scapegoat for our nations crisis. It is a valid point that our nation’s children are being

    Read More

  • A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active.

    Read More

  • Debunking the Low-Fat Myth: A National Epidemic

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity has become a growing epidemic in the United States of America. Federal agencies, authors of diet books, and others have offered advice on how to lose weight but none seem to work since the epidemic is still on the rise. In the article “The Feds’ Fib about Low-Fat,” Michael Fumento argues that the low-fat myth government agencies have inadvertently promoted can be deceiving and not healthy for the individual. This article is a syndicated column that has appeared in newspapers around the country, therefore allowing for a diversified audience. The audience of this article includes adults from all over the country who are concerned about the low-fat controversy and adults who are up-to-date on the latest political issues. Fumento claims

    Read More

  • School Lunches Are Unhealthy

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    Government date shows that in the past thirty years, rate of being overweight in six to eleven year olds is up 19% and 6% in age 12 to 19. Without support, school lunches remain high in fat. (Finkelstien) According to the CDCP, obesity is double what it was in children and triple in adolescents since 1980. Many reforms were attempted to help this problem, but many inadvertently caused more problems. (Finkelstien) A 730 calorie lunch should have no more than 24 grams of fat and no more than 8 grams of it saturated yet the average USDA lunch has 31 grams of fat and 14 rams of it is saturated. (Yeoman) These very high levels of fat are why obesity is becoming worse in children. It can be concluded that school food is still extremely high in fat and this can be directly linked to the high rates of obesity in young children and

    Read More

  • School Lunches

    2067 Words  | 5 Pages

    “More than 76 percent of schools sell soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks, but fewer than half offered bottles water. Fewer than 15 percent sell low-fat or nonfat yogurt, and fewer than one third order skim milk. Only 25 percent of schools say they've reduced fats and oils in recipes.”(Spake, 2). Choices at lunch range from greasy to unidentifiable. Most students eat school lunches five days a week. So most of the food they eat throughout the week comes from the school cafeteria. Although, the schools do tend to offer healthy choices such as salads, subs, skim milk, and unlimited fruits and vegetables. “Each week Phoenix students are served a variety of fruits and vegetables from guava to grapes and jicima to red peppers. School officials hope that by exposing children to fruits and vegetable they may develop a taste for them and request their parents to buy them.”(Bailey, 1). Real meat is becoming an issue in schools. “According to reports issued by the Physicians Committee for responsible Medicine (PCRM) the USDA dumps hundreds of millions of pounds of surplus beef, chicken, cheese, and pork on the National School lunch Program.”(Lord, 42). Chicken isn't whole white meat; some of it doesn't even taste like meat! Let’s move on to unhealthy foods. There are unlimited amounts of un...

    Read More

  • Obesity in Texas Children

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Allowing healthier school lunches will decrease obesity in children because it will give them the proper nutrition to reduce the risk of health issues. Since obesity causes many health issues, maintaining a proper nutrition will reduce the risk of health issues. According to Star- Telegram, a daily newspaper that serves Fort Worth and areas of North Texas states, “[School lunches that have] a meal of pizza sticks, a banana, raisins and whole milk has given way to whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce, a whole wheat roll green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kiwi and low-fat milk … This change will help more than 2.4 million Texas students who receive a free or reduced- price school lunch to lead healthier, more active lives—in and out of the classroom”(Par. 2 and 4). School lunches are supposed to guarantee students a well balance meal, so they can have the energy to proceed with their classes throughout the day. Meanwhile, students who receive a f...

    Read More

  • Healthy Eating

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Parents always want what is best for their children. They strive to provide for them, teach them, and to watch them grow into healthy, loving individuals. Despite this many parents continue to foster a habit that may prevent the goal of good health, unhealthy eating. Americans today consume too much fat, sugar, and food in general and its shows; rates of obesity and weight/diet related diseases such as diabetes are extremely high. In order to slow and eventually put a stop to this trend parents need to not only be aware and informed, but also need to take action and institute healthy eating habits from the very beginning.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity in the United States

    2855 Words  | 6 Pages

    Williamson, D. A., Han, H., Johnson, W. D., Martin, C. K., & Newton, R. L. (2013). Modification of the school cafeteria environment can impact childhood nutrition. Results from the Wise Mind and LA Health studies. Appetite, 61, 77–84. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.11.002

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On School Lunch Programs

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the implementation of the “Healthy Kids Hunger-Free Act” schools are not serving as many lunches and participation is decreasing. According to the Government Accountability Office (GOA), “Nationwide, student participation declined by 1.2 million students(or 3.7 percent) from school year 2010-2011 through school year 2012-2013, after having increased steadily for many years”(sec. 1). The school lunches became more distasteful and bland; the combinations of foods did not make sense, and the portion sizes decreased significantly. In order to support the cafeteria

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    The lack of health standards for lunches and other foods in schools are a leading cause of obesity in children. According to studies, children who eat school lunches consume forty more calories each day compared to those who bring their own lunches (Schanzenbach 703). Elizabeth Jackson, a medical doctor at the University of Michigan Health System, reported that children who eat school lunches are over two times more likely to eat fattier foods and more sugary drinks (“Children”). In the past decades, the government has attempted to develop effective lunch programs that limit the intake of unhealthy foods that children eat. The 1995 policy, “School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children,” required school lunches to meet one-third of the recommended number of calories, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals (Schanzenbach 686). Although this policy has been put into place, the government has not enforced it well enough. According to a recent study, only six percent of U.S. schoo...

    Read More

  • The Smart Goal Of The Obesity Program

    1910 Words  | 4 Pages

    The SMART goal of the obesity program is to reduce the obese population in Pitt County by creating a healthier diet program. Different objectives will be needed in order to reach this goal. The first objective is that from July 2016 through December 2016 100 community members will participate in the health department’s health promotion activities. This objective aligns with the reinforcement construct of the Social Cognitive Theory. By repeatedly participating in the activities, the 100 community members will be rewarded with the knowledge they receive and also motivation to change their behavior. By having an enjoyable time, they will be rewarded and want to keep coming back to the activities. The second objective is that following the 6-month duration; the majority of the participants will lose 2-10% of their original body weight by changing to a healthier diet. The reason the participants need to lose 2-10% of their body weight is to either prevent or reduce the chances of gaining other health diseases associated with obesity, including coronary artery disease and Type 2 Diabetes. This objective aligns with the self-efficacy construct. By losing a little bit of body fat, the participants will believe in their ability to lose weight, and continue to do so. The third objective is that on June 17 and June 24, informational brochures will be distributed to the community members to create awareness and reminders to join the obesity program, and gain knowledge about the health condition of obesity. This objective deals with the behavioral capability construct of the Social Cognitive Theory because the participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to change their behavior through the brochures.

    Read More

  • School Cafeteria Food

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever tasted school cafeteria food? I don’t think you would want to. In school story books, do you have characters saying that the food tasted good at school cafeterias? Nope. Why is this? Cafeteria food is often cheap, bought in bulk, high in calories, malnutritious, and microwaved. Student polls and opinions prove this. Therefore, this leads to a suggestion: Healthier, tastier foods and a better, advanced lunch system should be implemented.

    Read More

  • Unhealthy Food Essay

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine entering into a school cafeteria and being seated at any one of the lunch tables. The first thing one may take notice of is the obese or heavier students also seated at the tables. This probably wouldn’t have been nearly as noticeable thirty years ago. Yet, child obesity rates have nearly doubled in thirty years according to the Centers for Disease and prevention Control. Students are making unhealthy meal choices or eating unhealthy foods such as soda pop, candy bars, foods loaded with preservatives, and unhealthy fats. Now, imagine sitting down in the same cafeteria where the students have been educated about healthy food choices. Vending machines had been removed, and parents had made an effort to help their children eat healthy. Due to increasing rates of U.S childhood obesity in the past thirty years, investing in serving healthy meals to school children never sounded so reasonable. The only way we can accomplish our goal is through healthier meals, wiser spending, and getting students to participate.

    Read More

More about Move Aside Fat and Say Hello to Healthy Solutions

Open Document