A machine cannot perform at its best on bad fuel; likewise, people cannot perform at their best on a poor diet. Unfortunately, the typical American diet brings a troubled look to nutritionists nationwide. Typical for lifestyle habits, eating patterns begin at a young age. Considering that over a billion school meals are served in the United States annually, there is good reason for concern about its impact on the health and eating habits of our future society. Although we keep increasing funding and demanding schools to provide healthy food for our kids, obesity rates continue to flourish for our children, and we continue playing the same old song and dance without real progress in our program. Currently, America's public school lunch program is failing to meet the potential the upcoming generations deserve to have. Unhealthy Bodies
In recent years, we are standing among the most obese countries in the Western world, and the issue is beginning to bloom in our children. In 2015, approximately 16% of American youth were considered obese (Haynes 5). An important note is that this proportion particularly targets lower-income and minority families, taking into account that these children have the least access to fresh produce and wholesome foods. That means the 73% of students that receive free or reduced price meals may rely on school meals to obtain the proper nutrients they miss at home (School Meal Trends & Stats). Considering that "obese children are over ten times more likely to become obese adults" subject to "90% higher average medical costs", this is strongly relevant to the future of our country (Haynes 2). To combat this trend, we have passed numerous legislation, including the famous Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, to push schools to have their meals meet controversial calorie restrictions. The real problem left unsolved is that these regulations allow industrial food companies to design, cook, and freeze meals (Harlan). Since these companies do not hire nutritionists to compose recipes, they have become notorious for their empty-calorie processed foods. The reason corporations have not changed is because their interest lies in the capital of their business, not the health or satisfaction of their consumers. Thus, in response to these mandates, manufacturers were required to re-engineer their products to meet the new guidelines but chose cheap methods that failed to satisfy the children's taste expectations (Murphy). Now, the so-called "solution" of unhealthy school lunches has become a contributor to the poor eating habits of future American citizens. Unhealthy Minds Not only has the government been significantly unsuccessful in improving the present physical health of our children, but they have managed to create a system that encourages students to become picky and wasteful eaters later on. …show more content…
To provide an example, children were not eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, so schools required students to choose either a fruit or vegetable before leaving the lunch line because the predicted result was an increase in consumption. However, the spike in trash cans filled with untouched produce shows that the requirement does not correspond with high consumption rates (Cha). With the majority of the hundreds of pounds of wasted school food composed of untasted fruits and vegetables, one would be lying to themselves if they blamed a lack of eating time or appetite. It is clear to see that students have become conditioned to toss perfectly edible and nutritious staples, carrying an unhealthy eating pattern into their adult life. Social variables are to blame as well. Developmental psychologist Leann Birch notes that "children learn to eat what their parents eat, and if kids are served something different at school, it's not unlikely that they will not eat it" (Murphy). Instead of attempting to serve the customary of every child in our diverse country, parents could be invited to taste testing sessions as in other countries. This would show kids to accept their meals and establishing good eating habits. Making a Change If we are to improve the current public school lunch program in the United States, then our society must be willing to prioritize the health of its future civilians over the business of the food industry. There are countless precedents to follow such as Japan, who's value of common health has prompted a
In recent years, we are standing among the most obese countries in the Western world, and the issue is beginning to bloom in our children. In 2015, approximately 16% of American youth were considered obese (Haynes 5). An important note is that this proportion particularly targets lower-income and minority families, taking into account that these children have the least access to fresh produce and wholesome foods. That means the 73% of students that receive free or reduced price meals may rely on school meals to obtain the proper nutrients they miss at home (School Meal Trends & Stats). Considering that "obese children are over ten times more likely to become obese adults" subject to "90% higher average medical costs", this is strongly relevant to the future of our country (Haynes 2). To combat this trend, we have passed numerous legislation, including the famous Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, to push schools to have their meals meet controversial calorie restrictions. The real problem left unsolved is that these regulations allow industrial food companies to design, cook, and freeze meals (Harlan). Since these companies do not hire nutritionists to compose recipes, they have become notorious for their empty-calorie processed foods. The reason corporations have not changed is because their interest lies in the capital of their business, not the health or satisfaction of their consumers. Thus, in response to these mandates, manufacturers were required to re-engineer their products to meet the new guidelines but chose cheap methods that failed to satisfy the children's taste expectations (Murphy). Now, the so-called "solution" of unhealthy school lunches has become a contributor to the poor eating habits of future American citizens. Unhealthy Minds Not only has the government been significantly unsuccessful in improving the present physical health of our children, but they have managed to create a system that encourages students to become picky and wasteful eaters later on. …show more content…
To provide an example, children were not eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, so schools required students to choose either a fruit or vegetable before leaving the lunch line because the predicted result was an increase in consumption. However, the spike in trash cans filled with untouched produce shows that the requirement does not correspond with high consumption rates (Cha). With the majority of the hundreds of pounds of wasted school food composed of untasted fruits and vegetables, one would be lying to themselves if they blamed a lack of eating time or appetite. It is clear to see that students have become conditioned to toss perfectly edible and nutritious staples, carrying an unhealthy eating pattern into their adult life. Social variables are to blame as well. Developmental psychologist Leann Birch notes that "children learn to eat what their parents eat, and if kids are served something different at school, it's not unlikely that they will not eat it" (Murphy). Instead of attempting to serve the customary of every child in our diverse country, parents could be invited to taste testing sessions as in other countries. This would show kids to accept their meals and establishing good eating habits. Making a Change If we are to improve the current public school lunch program in the United States, then our society must be willing to prioritize the health of its future civilians over the business of the food industry. There are countless precedents to follow such as Japan, who's value of common health has prompted a