More U.S. Schools Cutting Out Junk Food
At my high school the vending machines ruled! How else could you eat nacho cheese Doritos, peanut M&M's, and raw Pop-Tarts for lunch?
But nowadays, with the number of overweight and obese kids on the rise, vending machines and junk food are getting the heave-ho from schools.
And according to a new survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more and more schools are expelling the junk.
In the report, the number of U.S. high schools and middle schools cutting back on soft drinks increased from 38% in 2006, to 63% in 2008. Plus, from 2004 to 2009, the number of states with nutrition standards for food outside of school lunches is up from 6 states to 27.
But some states did better than others. The CDC says 80% of schools in Connecticut, Hawaii and Maine place limits on how much junk food kids could have, but only 18.2% of schools in Utah do.
The U.S. government has asked schools to limit students' access to junk food to help control the 16% obesity rate in kids ages 2 to 19.
Listen, all this is well and good, but I'd venture to guess a lot of kids go home to parents who had McDonald's for lunch and use the phonebook to make dinner.
Via Reuters.
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Banning junk food from schools just creates a black market for them in the school. You educate those children about fitness and nutrition an they'll choose the right foods on their own.
ReplyI agree that education is key. However, you need to remove the temptation of junk food too. By not having the foods available every where you are saying that these foods are not OK for everyday lunches. They are treat foods.
My childrens school in Sydney doesn't have vending machines at all. The kids have water fountains and that's it! The school also does healthy lifestyle education. I could count the number of overweight children on 1 hand.
So yes, educate the children and parents, but remove the temnptation and get rid of the vending machines. It will force the children and parents to make other choices for their lunches.
ReplyOur school had vending machines, but my parents never let me have any money to buy anything from them. I always just ate the pizza, french fries, and cheeseburgers they served in the hot lunch line. :P
ReplyWhich of course points out that banning junk food will do nothing to change eating habits. Good eating starts at home with parents setting the example. You can't have mother eating whatever she wants and telling the child to eat her veggies. That's never going to work.
ReplyI agree with the above comments that school lunches are not meeting the grade so if they are going to clean up, then clean it all up. And yes, the home is where kids learn this stuff & if the parents are not setting a good example then they will just find it elsewhere. The changes needed are way more complex than just vending machines but I guess something is better than nothing if it helps just a few.
ReplyScientists at the University of California at San Francisco report that healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with decreased risk of developing deadly pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is far from being as common as breast or lung cancer, but their analysis and treatment are particularly difficult. Find a ratification categorically that simple changes in our daily diet can provide reliable protection against pancreatic cancer, he could be one of the most practical ways to reduce the occurrence of the dreaded disease of prostate cancer.
ReplyI figure just tax the heck out of all the junk food so it becomes so bloody expensive. It should be cheaper to buy a bag of carrots to snack on than a bag of chips. Sad reality when its cheaper to buy a 2L coke than a 2L
ReplyTap water is cheaper then bottled water or Coke.
Replyyeah tap water is cheaper but alot of people are scared to drink it because they think it's not safe. Even if you get filtered water having a reusable water bottle to hold it may not be safe(unless it's one of those aluminum/stainless steel ones)
People will find justification to eat the foods they are addicted too like sugar.
ReplyAfter banning junk food from school this is not confirm that the children will not purchase it, they can purchase it from outside.children should aware about disadvantages of junk food.
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