“School food is something that most kids, 31 million a day, actually- have twice a day, more than often, breakfast and lunch, 180 days of the year” (Oliver). Although so many children eat this food every day, the state of the school lunches in America are horrendous. America already has the highest obesity rate in the world and teaching future generations that eating desserts, french fries, and pizza every day is unhealthy and not to mention unintelligent. These foods are filled with preservatives, fats, and sugars. School lunches need to be improved because they encourage improper and unhealthy diets.
School lunches are directly related to childhood obesity. Cafeterias are serving children greasy, fat filled food that not only makes them heavier, but makes them feel sick due to the amount of unhealthy chemicals they are digesting. When children eat this kind of food everyday, it becomes a habit. Schools not only don’t put enough importance on a healthy diet, but the “Availability of junk food increases with grade level, in 2000, 43 percent of elementary schools, 89 percent of middle schools, and 98 percent of high schools had student accessible vending machines…” (Finkelstein). Instead of trying to find ways to serve healthy food with the budget they have been given, schools have instead turned to offering competitive foods” (Finkelstein). These foods are essentially empty calories; with little to no nutritional value.. Mark Zanger, a restaurant critic visited five very different schools across the country and evaluated the lunches being served. He wrote an article on his findings about the extreme amounts of sugars and fats in the foods served daily in lunchrooms across America. Zanger stated, “A popular brand of 100 percent orange juice has 58 grams of sugar in an 11.5 ounce can”. The daily amount of sugar recommended by the USDA is 25-30 grams. When one drink is your recommended amount of sugar plus more, it shows just how corrupt the food system is. School lunches need to change the foods they are serving in order to keep their students at healthy weights and educate them about the right food choices for the future. Furthermore, the problem of health in the United States, particularly obesity, has reached an all time high, another one of the reasons school lunches need to be fixed. Teaching children how to eat properly at a young age and throughout their childhood years, can reverse and slowly abolish this extreme problem. Because, “Diet related disease is the biggest killer in the United States…” (Oliver). The diets that children of this generation are partaking in are not only destroying their health, but also limiting their lifespans. As Jamie Oliver stated, “Due to increases in the prevalence of childhood obesity, today 's children may not live as long as their parents”. Moreover, not only does obesity cause early death, but it also creates an enormous amount of health care bills. From the taxes that all Americans pay, 150 billion dollars a year goes to obesity, primarily health care bills for …show more content…
Being overweight or obese comes with a hefty amount of consequences. A study on overweight and obese Americans found that, “Excess weight contributes to other health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, asthma, sleep disorders, eating disorders, some forms of cancer, and even early-onset puberty” (“Childhood Obesity”). On the subject of children, more and more of our younger generations are increasing in weight due to the foods they eat, “Currently, about 17 percent of U.S children are overweight and many more are at the risk of becoming overweight” (Finkelstein). Moreover, not only does being overweight have a toll on health, but it also has mental tolls, children who are overweight or obese may struggle with their confidence, develop mental illnesses, or develop eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia. “A study found that children who were overweight rated their quality of life as being similar to children who were being treated for cancer” (Finkelstein). Childhood obesity is a condition that can be prevented if we begin to teach children about proper nutrition and help them make the best decisions for their health. Although, there are some people who do not think school lunches directly influence
School lunches are directly related to childhood obesity. Cafeterias are serving children greasy, fat filled food that not only makes them heavier, but makes them feel sick due to the amount of unhealthy chemicals they are digesting. When children eat this kind of food everyday, it becomes a habit. Schools not only don’t put enough importance on a healthy diet, but the “Availability of junk food increases with grade level, in 2000, 43 percent of elementary schools, 89 percent of middle schools, and 98 percent of high schools had student accessible vending machines…” (Finkelstein). Instead of trying to find ways to serve healthy food with the budget they have been given, schools have instead turned to offering competitive foods” (Finkelstein). These foods are essentially empty calories; with little to no nutritional value.. Mark Zanger, a restaurant critic visited five very different schools across the country and evaluated the lunches being served. He wrote an article on his findings about the extreme amounts of sugars and fats in the foods served daily in lunchrooms across America. Zanger stated, “A popular brand of 100 percent orange juice has 58 grams of sugar in an 11.5 ounce can”. The daily amount of sugar recommended by the USDA is 25-30 grams. When one drink is your recommended amount of sugar plus more, it shows just how corrupt the food system is. School lunches need to change the foods they are serving in order to keep their students at healthy weights and educate them about the right food choices for the future. Furthermore, the problem of health in the United States, particularly obesity, has reached an all time high, another one of the reasons school lunches need to be fixed. Teaching children how to eat properly at a young age and throughout their childhood years, can reverse and slowly abolish this extreme problem. Because, “Diet related disease is the biggest killer in the United States…” (Oliver). The diets that children of this generation are partaking in are not only destroying their health, but also limiting their lifespans. As Jamie Oliver stated, “Due to increases in the prevalence of childhood obesity, today 's children may not live as long as their parents”. Moreover, not only does obesity cause early death, but it also creates an enormous amount of health care bills. From the taxes that all Americans pay, 150 billion dollars a year goes to obesity, primarily health care bills for …show more content…
Being overweight or obese comes with a hefty amount of consequences. A study on overweight and obese Americans found that, “Excess weight contributes to other health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, asthma, sleep disorders, eating disorders, some forms of cancer, and even early-onset puberty” (“Childhood Obesity”). On the subject of children, more and more of our younger generations are increasing in weight due to the foods they eat, “Currently, about 17 percent of U.S children are overweight and many more are at the risk of becoming overweight” (Finkelstein). Moreover, not only does being overweight have a toll on health, but it also has mental tolls, children who are overweight or obese may struggle with their confidence, develop mental illnesses, or develop eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia. “A study found that children who were overweight rated their quality of life as being similar to children who were being treated for cancer” (Finkelstein). Childhood obesity is a condition that can be prevented if we begin to teach children about proper nutrition and help them make the best decisions for their health. Although, there are some people who do not think school lunches directly influence