Obesity is a rising concern in society today. The number of obese or overweight children has received more attention as the number has doubled in the last three decades (Hotakainen). As children are becoming more susceptible to life-threatening diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, society has continued to grow concerned (Oliver). As the number continues to rise, the search for potential causes has begun. While many want to blame the caregivers, they are not the potential problem. Although parents should monitor their children’s weight, they are vulnerable to society’s (power) pressures and demands. The unhealthy school lunches, weak physical education programs, and convincing food advertisements are to blame for the high obesity rate in children today. 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... ... middle of paper ... ...rcher. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Hotakainen, Rob. “Worries Mount over Lack of Physical Education in Schools.” McClatchy Washington DC News Bureau. 08 Jan 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. “Children Who Eat School Lunches More Likely to be Overweight.” University of Michigan Health System. American College of Cardiology, 13 Mar. 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. McLaughlin, Joseph. “Researcher Shows Negative Effects of Advertising on Children.” Inside Fordham. Fordham University, 17 May 2010. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. Ramstetter, Catherine L., Robert Murray, and Andrew S. Garner. “The Crucial Role of Recess in Schools.” Journal of School Health 80.11 (2010): 517-526. Academic Search Elite. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore. “Do School Lunches Contribute to Childhood Obesity?.” Journal of Human Resources 44.3 (2009): 684-709. ERIC. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
School lunches has become an important factor in changing childhood obesity. Taking high calorie foods out of lunches, changing their foods to whole grain, and changing food portions they give kids, schools across the country are trying to change kids’ lifestyle. Many have complained about the nutrition plan in schools and many have defended it. Childhood obesity may be a major problem but school’s healthy lunches are not helping.
Council on School Health (2012). The Crucial Role of Recess in School. Pediatrics, 131, 182-189. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-2993
“More than a third of the county's children are overweight or obese.”(Gustin, 1). As shocking as this is, it's true. One of the big reasons that children and teens are overweight is because of the foods that they eat. They are fed these fattening and unhealthy foods by the school system. Their futures can be changed if we change our choices. Having more nutritious lunches can have a positive impact on the health of American teens.
Childhood obesity can be impacted by the nutritional values of school lunches. Most school age
Obesity is not developing in children who take lunch from home. Most parents are sure to pack healthy lunches for their children every day. Actually, bagged lunches or lunches that come from home usually consist of home cooked meals that children usually do not refuse these meals (Cluggish). My observation has been that children are inclined to eat home-cooked healthy meals than not
Outside of school kids don’t get enough proper nutrition. Everyday in the United States there are approximately 12 million children who receive a free or reduced price lunch because their families may need government help. Besides the fact that many students rely on school lunches for their daily meals, the healthier school food that schools provide is a benefit for the children because it can prevent childhood obesity as well as improve the child's academic performance. There are many kids who rely on school lunches to provide them not only enough food but healthy and nutritious foods for their health. Underprivileged families can not afford food for every single meal at times so these school meals are important for them. There is nearly 4
To begin, school meals do not set a solid foundation for children regarding the diet habits they will have for the rest of their lives. For example, they are teaching kids that greasy pizza and corn dogs are a part of a healthy, nutritious diet. One student says, “We think school lunches are healthy because they have all these posters in the cafeteria telling us to eat healthy food and be active; we think the school is doing their part by serving us healthy food too, but they are not” (Jimenez). Not only do children think that this cheap food is a good choice, but schools also think they are benefiting because of how much money they conserve.
First of all, an increasing amount of kids are becoming overweight because their schools pressure them to eat sugary, fatty, and high-calorie foods. Not only do many schools promote consumption of harmful foods, many schools also actively serve them in school lunches. In 1963, 4% of kids were obese; currently, approximately 17% of kids are obese. Some might argue that kids themselves are the reason for the increase, because school lunches also provide healthier foods. Unfortunately, most kids do not have much of a choice - healthier foods are priced much higher than their unhealthy counterpart, consequently many parents do not want their kids to buy the more expensive, yet healthier product. In my 3½ years ...
School lunches should provide the healthiest options for students. Ann Louise Gittleman, one of America’s top nutritionists, stresses that “Healthy eating gives energy and concentration skills opposed to unhealthy processed foods which slow one’s brain down and cause sugar crashes in children.” thus making children bovine. If students crash, their focus can be shifted and lessened. According to the School Health Policies and Programs Study in 2006, 11.7 percent of elementary schools, 19 percent of middle schools, and 23.5 percent of high schools included meals from fast food restaurants, such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, amon...
Most adults do not realize the amount of weight such young minds have to endure in a single day. Director Howell Wechsler of the Division of Adolescent and School Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that “Some shortsighted people thought that cutting back on time spent on physical education to spend more time drilling for tests would improve test score’’ (Nanci). However, many other studies reflect quite the opposite: allowing more time for physical education activities actually improve academic performance (Nanci). With little knowledge to the issue at hand, society is assuming what is best for children without acknowledging what they may really need. Not only would it affect their mental stability, but possibly their future social
The increase rate in childhood obesity urged Michelle Obama to improve school lunches. In result of First Lady Michelle Obama addressing the issue, nutrition standards were raised in the Healthy Food Act of 2010. Sources show that this law caused a heated debate among parents. The question still stands, is the food actually healthy? the food system in the United States is making it very difficult for students to receive the nutrition they need to grow into healthy adults. The National School Lunch Program plays a huge role involving school lunches. I believe that the National School Lunch Program has influenced school lunches in a few positive ways. Their program is great for low income families and they also promote healthy eating and physical activity through changes in school environments. The National School Lunch Program is the reason behind schools serving breakfast, as well as the increased amount of fruits and vegetables. The National School Lunch Program, Michelle Obama, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, another contributor in school lunches, have been fighting to improve school lunches, but they are not doing so well when it comes to improving the food served on the
Some schools even sell junk food to students like popcorn, chocolates and chips when in reality they should be offering fruits, granola bars and other snacks filled with nutrients. Students struggle to find fast food items they enjoy while remaining within the 600 calorie-per-meal guidelines. (Zuercher) A way that we can help decrease the growth of child obesity is by offering children healthier lunch options in schools. What schools are doing to try and decrease child obesity is changing the schools lunch menus. They are offering healthier food options and are serving more fruits and vegetables. Early childhood nutrition is very important especially at a child’s early stages of life. As we learned in class good eating habits and physical activity are very important. Eating healthy would help lower the chances of children developing diabetes at a very
Parents are not teaching children how to eat healthy. They feed them cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and fries. Kids are not being exposed to a regular diet of health fruits and vegetables. Now some people are just naturally overweight, but being “overweight” is not the same as being “obese.” Someone who is overweight has reached a maximum weight limit for their height. When someone goes beyond this maximum limit, then they are considered “obese” (Kiess 1). Research shows that “obesity is generally defined as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue” (Kiess 1). The increase in childhood obesity today is mainly the fault of the parent because they are unable to tell their children “no” when it comes to junk food (Kiess 104). Parents are the one buying all the food that comes into the house. They are the ones buying the sugary drinks and chips. They are the ones allowing the children to “have what they want.” Because parents are not teaching their children how to eat healthy, we will continue to see childhood obesity increase. Unfortunately, overweight children will be the ones who suffer because statistics show children who are overweight are more likely to become obes...
Despite evidence provided by university studies, there are people that claim lunches sold in schools are not directly associated with childhood obesity. Jennifer Van Hook, a professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University says that “Schools only represent a small portion of children's food environment.” Van Hook claims that the obesity problem surfaces with poor choices of foot consumption outside school (Radford). This is especially true for teenagers who are more dependent have more disposable income. Minors may obtain foods that are high in calories and fat from home, at a fast food restaurant, and from other people. Van Hook also stated that “Kids are actually very busy at school... There really isn't a lot of opportunity for children to eat while they're in school, or at least eat endlessly, compared to when they're at home.” While school is in session, students are unable to consume food except at certain times of the day. Nevertheless, children consume most of their calories outside class f...
“Nearly 9 million children in the United States are overweight or obese. And the numbers are rising at alarming rates. The proportion of overweight 12- 19 year-old children has tripled -- from 5 percent in the early '60s to 15 percent in 2000, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The incidence of overweight and obese 6 to 11-year-olds has increased from 4 to 15 percent in the past 40 years,” according to the website, “SFGate.” Also, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that, “In the United States, the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s. Data from 2015-2016 show that nearly 1 in 5 school age children and young people (6 to 19 years) in the United States has obesity.” This suggests that cutting back on the junk food in school lunches and adding healthier choices can help decrease the amount of obese children in the United