Eldren Ivey

English III
Ms. Boyd
May 29th 2018

School lunches and childhood Obesity

Children need healthy food. This is understood, but the current U.S. food system makes it hard to

ensure that kids get the kinds of foods they need to grow into healthy adults. The average U.S.

child eats only 1/3 of the fruits and veggies recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. This problem is especially acute for children from lower-income and racial and

ethnic minority families. These children often lack adequate access to fresh, healthy food, while

unhealthy processed foods made artificially cheap in part by federal subsidies are readily

available. Coupled with environmental factors, this leads to a predictable result: high obesity

rates. Obesity in children has been on a rise for a while now. Many factors contribute to this

cause. School lunches have fed students for many years. School lunches have been linked as a

contributing factor in childhood obesity. Even though some people believe school lunches are

healthier than before, school lunches promote obesity. School lunches are low in nutrient

value, full of artificial flavors and coloring and allows unhealthy snack choices from

vending machines.

Obesity rates among children nearly tripled between 1970 and 2000; about 16% of youth

are classified as obese today in America. Obesity has affected minority children, especially in

recent years. The obesity rates has leveled off for white children, but for African Americans and

Hispanics it continues to climb. A key factor can be healthy school lunches in breaking this cycle by

improving kid’s diets. Children consume calories during school; for low-income children school lunch
may be the only meal for them throughout the day. And the foods children eat at school reflects on their

eating habits.

In recent decades, school meals had tilted towards high processed fat, sugar and sodium.

Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 required the USDA to

update its goals for school meals to fall in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Schools began these new standards in 2012. “Most school lunches rely heavily on high-energy,

low-nutrient-value food, because it’s cheaper,” (Kim A. Eagle)

School lunch works—but it faces an uphill battle

Unfortunately, the impact of school food programs are not strong enough to overcome unhealthy

influences on children’s diet. Analysis found that FRP meal attenders drink sugary beverages and

ate more fast food than their associates, and they were likely to be obese- gaps widened between

5th and 8th graders. “Obesity affects every aspect of a people’s lives, from health to

relationships”. ( Velez-Mithelle )
 Beginning in 2012, schools began to implement the stronger nutrition standards mandated

by HFFKA. As researchers are still in the early ages of evaluating the effectiveness of the

updated standards, the proof so far is promising. Example, a 2014 Harvard school of Health

study found that veggie consumption grew by 16.2% in the first year implementation at four low-

income schools. Stronger school lunch policies has made a good difference in children’s diets-

and congress needs to build so they can improve these policies further. The report has several

specific recommendations for congress it renews in 2015: Protect gains made in 2010. Make the

nutrition education better. Prioritize fruits and veggies. Not allowing politics to trump science

The best drinks for children are water or low-fat dairy. Ages 2 to 8 should consume at-least 2 cups

of water per day, and children aged 9 to 18 should drink 3 cups per day Adults should consume

2.7 liters a day and children should have 1.7 liters. Sweetened beverages provide a ton of calories

without filling you up. Most past studies show that the sugary beverages may increase the risk for

leptin resistance as well, in turn may make it hard to decipher when fullness have been achieved.

It may also cause prediabetes. Around 80% of that comes from sugary beverages but 20% will

come from food. Water is a nutrient for the health of our body’s. Water is a natural appetite

suppressant which aids in maintaining a good weight. More than 1/3 of adults are obese. The

medical cost due to obesity estimated up to $147 billion in 2008. According to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) about 13 million children and adolescents from ages 2 to

19 in U.S. are obese. A 20 ounce soda has 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and more than 240 calories.

For teens, sugary beverages such as sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks are the top source of

calories around 226 calories per day. When your child is in front of the T.V, they’re probably lying

down, without very little activity. Most of the time parents let their kids watch T.V for hours

without prompting them to go outside to run around or play games or get creative. Not only does
too much T.V time mean to little exercise and too much time being sedentary, it means that your

child is being revealed to advertisements that are promoting the foods that are causing childhood

obesity today. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention prefer that children and adolescents

between the ages of 6 and 17 should look into at-least 60 minutes of exercise per day. The CDC

encourages young people to exercise regularly to decrease likelihood of developing childhood

obesity, relieve stress and anxiety levels, promote mental health, and build strong bones and

muscles.
 Works cited

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Web. 25 October 2010.

“Childhood Obesity in Northern Colorado.” Survey. 28 Oct. 2010.

Crouse, Janice. “The Fast-Food Industry Intentionally Markets Unhealthy Food to Children.” Fast
Food. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 3 November 2010.

Greenblatt, Alan. “Can Americans change their self-destructive habit?” Obesity Epidemic 13.4
(2003). CQ Researcher. Web. 3 November 2010.

Mauch, Gary. Personal interview. 1 Nov. 2010.

Morrison, Carolyn. Personal interview. 3 Nov. 2010.

“Obesity; Rise in Childhood Obesity Has Raised Concerns about School Lunch Nutrition.” Drug Week 8
Oct. 2004:455-457. LexisNexis. Web. 27 Oct. 2010

Puhl, R. Schwartz, M. B. “ Childhood Obesity: a Societal Problem to Solve.” Obesity Reviews 4.1
(2003): 57-71. Wiley Online Library. Web. 3 November 2010.

“The Surgeon General’s Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and
Obesity.” Surgeongeneral.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. n.d. Web. 3
November 2010.