The choices we make today shape our children’s futures. With an alarming rise in childhood health issues, it’s crucial for schools to lead by example and ban junk food from their menu. While fast food is a convenient option for parents and students, it’s ruining the children of our generation and forming unhealthy habits this all starts in schools. Schools need to start being better role models for students. At lunch, when a child sees hundreds of chips, fruit roll ups, cookies, sugary cereals, and drinks loaded with chemicals right in front of them, it gives them an urge to buy and eat so many unhealthy things that they wouldn’t eat at home because it’s easy and tastes good. A child doesn’t know the serious long term effects on eating these foods.
While schools may not notice, they are contradicting themselves and being hypocritical when it comes to eating habits and what children are putting into their bodys. In a middle school health class, the average lesson consists of teaching students how to read nutrition labels, the 5 food groups, how to have a balanced diet, and foods to avoid. The school then proceeds to add every single food that they are saying to avoid at their school cafeteria. This can confuse children because their schools are the ones making the menu. According to CDC.gov they stated ¨Healthy eating learning opportunities includes nutrition education and other activities integrated into the school day that can give children knowledge and skills to help choose and consume healthy foods and beverages¨
Another big issue with this is obesity. When schools keep giving kids more and more junk food, it could lead to a higher risk of obesity in children. According to World Health Organization, they said, carrying these extra fats could lead to many things like serious health concerns, such as cardiovascular disease which is mainly heart disease and strokes, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal( affects bones, joints, ligaments, tendons or muscles) and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). All these conditions could eventually lead to a disability or even death. After interviewing some of my fellow classmates they all said that after eating their lunch the snacks they packed with it, even if their body feels full, they still go up and get either a bag of chips or cookies. This is because the chemicals put in these foods are addicting and taste good meaning kids are stuffing themselves when it’s unnecessary.
Another reason junk foods should be banned in schools is because they negatively impact students’ ability to focus and learn effectively. High in sugar and unhealthy fats, these foods can lead to energy spikes followed by crashes, resulting in little to no concentration and increased tiredness. When students consume junk food, they often experience mood swings and irritability, which can further affect their academic performance. By removing these unhealthy options from school environments, we can promote better nutrition, enhance students’ focus, and create a more productive atmosphere for learning, ultimately supporting the health and well-being of our students.
Although kids say that eating cookies and chips during lunch help them focus in their next class it actually does the opposite. According to RMIT University, junk food shrinks the brain’s learning capabilities. ¨Junk food laden diets have been shown to reduce neuroplasticity – which is essential for us to form new memories and learn new things rapidly.¨ This quote demonstrates that when students are intaking these kinds of foods, they think they’re helping themselves by filling up with junk food for energy or a sugar rush, but in reality these foods are breaking down their insides and causing them to crash and lose focus during class.
In conclusion, banning junk food in schools is an important step toward creating a healthier, more productive environment for our students. By eliminating these unhealthy options, we can defeat the rising rates of obesity, create better eating habits, and enhance students’ focus and academic performance.
