"What''s For Lunch" Obesity?
...on. Schools need to offer a well rounded diet. With out proper nutrition kids can miss out on their daily requirements of frit and vegetables therefore not obtaining the vitamin, minerals and antioxidants that they offer. Schools need to instill an active lifestyle by demanding that students take a sport or some vigorous activity for PE class. Children will learn to take daily activity in to adulthood. Educating students about the obesity epidemic and its consequences, and how to prevent the problem. Firstly, some suggest that child hood obesity has skyrocketed with the increase of highly processed foods that are being served daily in our lunch rooms. The diet is a responsibility of the school’s to keep the students healthy. Schools have shown that a nutritional menu is not that much of a priority but an avenue that has been made priority for saving or making money. I feel the schools find it cheaper to serve high carbohydrate food than fruits and vegetables. For example most kids are so used to seeing burgers and pizzas they won’t want to eat vegetable stir-fry. (Rimm62) This is how kids get into bad eating habits and get into a rut of the same old fast foods as apposed to a more natural choice of food like whole fruit. For example when I was in school I would eat all sorts of things like meat ravioli in sauce and whole milk with cookies for desert. If the school had only given me a better selection I would have not been eating food loaded with carbohydrates with milk full of fat to wash it down. Incorporating salad bars with a wider selection of fruits, veggies and healthier desert kids will eat what’s there. Research shows that .51% of children and adolescents eat less than one serving a day of vegetables that are not fried (AOA). Can you imagine kids are not eating fruit because candy is sweeter and sometimes cheaper or sometimes it’s because they are not being exposed to it at all. I was always eating french-fries when ever available and dipping them in tons of ketchup but I don’t ever remember being served celery with ranch on the side of my lunch tray something I still don’t like but only if it’s finely chopped in tuna. Oh the great vending machine what a helping hand that has been in the obesity epidemic. They might as well sell you cholesterol in a tube or lard in a bag. The American School Board says that chocolate bars, doughnuts, candy, sodas, variety of chips are all easily available via the vending machine. All this non nutritional selection can be reduced or eliminated by providing yogurts, 100% juices; flavored water, granola, mixed nuts and even soymilk.(ASBJ). I think this new selection of food would take time to get use to but kids will eat what’s available and selection can only do them good. Can’t tell you how many times in High School I sometimes ate junk food from the vending machine after eating lunch just because the soda was what I preferred to drink instead of milk. To get things in the right direction we need to revise our school menus and eliminate our vending machines. “The schools will be where the first victories against obesity will occur” (Kelly Brownell).Girald a registered dietitian with a masters in business says children won’t make healthy choices unless they are taught and exposed to nutritious food and explained about its goodness. And usually at home this is not occurring especially true in low income neighborhoods where it’s more economical to buy Kraft Macaroni and Cheese over green peppers. I for one can tell you that when I’m low on the loot fruits and veggies are not on the list I’m more likely to purchase pasta bologna and items that are inexpensive Peppers are two for one dollar not so economical when your pocket is. Secondly, schools have redirected students’ agenda from physical education to more sit down classes throughout the day. I don’t see how more classes indoors can really be beneficial when sacrificing the human body of much needed exercise. Schools have replaced PE with other classes that to the eyes of the school board may seem more important than developing an active individual. (Rimm 64) Now the repercussions have turned out more serious than ever expected all of a sudden kids are blowing up like blimps and no one was prepared for the out come. When I was in Junior High School I was embarrassed of playing volleyball cause my breast would jump with me but when the I saw that the following semester their was no PE requirement I was relived. Little did I know that it was just making matters worst. It is common sense that if students stay active enough through out the day they will not gain weight, will be able to maintain healthy body weight; or loose weight if necessary. Medical experts say that the best way of attacking this childhood obesity epidemic is in exercise. (ASBJ) Now this is one comment I can really agree on if nothing else like changing menus and getting rid of vending machines at least make the kids active while in school. The one thing I rarely got any of and the one thing that would have solved all my emotional issues like being self conscious of the way clothes fitted me. Not enough exercise is a key component to this epidemic what do you get when you add a computer potato plus junk food? OBESITY. Exercise is the best way to help prevent many medical conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. (Rimm98) Anywere health topics are being spoken of it will always go hand in hand that people that exercise are at lower risk of health complications. All this has turned out because kids are spending less time on the school fields and more time eating while doing nothing to keep active and or control body weight. (Houghton) After school I would just go home and do stuff I can’t even remember what it is I did cause I surly don’t remember going to a dance academy or being part of some team who had to practice for a game, the sort of things kids did to stay active. I personally know the consequences of not having an active lifestyle so I could not encourage my audience any more on how we the adults and school teachers should stress upon the youngsters what not being fit could really mean. Thirdly the horrifying consequences of childhood obesity usually follow into adolescent years and into adulthood therefore all the ramifications follow as well. That’s why educating students, teachers and parents is so important especially in a nation that is so capable of facilitating the avenues of imparting education in the prevention of childhood obesity and it’s side effects like heart disease .Outside of home children and adolescents spend the majority of there time in schools so it makes sense that schools provide education and an environment that promotes healthy nutrition and physical activity. Heavyweight kids are more likely to become heavy adults and develop asthma, joint and orthopedic problems also a terrible side effect is the death of bones from lack of movement. (Camino Medical Group) The worst part of this dis...