The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 1

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth Brianna Tsatskin Arizona State University

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 2 1. Adverse effects and stakeholders. The effects of a lack of proper and adequate nutrition offered in the Paradise Valley public schools (PVUSD) are far-reaching ones and are entailed with immense consequences. The most visible of which is the staggering increase in obesity among the youth, and this problem is apparent in the north Scottsdale schools as well (Levine & Stein, 2008). It is wellknown that the effects of obesity in youth are grave ones as they may include later heartdisease, depression, illnesses, and even death. What is of greater concern is that this tends to be a cyclical trend, something that may be onset by parents or the environment that the children are raised in (i.e. the food they eat at school) and will continue to be passed on to their children, and future generations to come as well (Levine & Stein, 2008). Further adverse effects include a potential decimation of local food industries across Arizona due to the reliance on larger, cheaper, and national suppliers (Food Inc., 2008). Despite an abundance of local farms and agriculture across Arizona, much of the food found in the PVUSD has been imported from other states and they continue to suffer (Arizona Farm Bureau, 2012). The first stakeholder involved is the youth of north Scottsdale who have their lunches provided at school, as they are the ones who are forced to eat whatever is offered to them, especially if school lunches are their only source of food during the school day (Downs, 2011). The fault does not lie with the cafeteria workers and those providing the food as they are only able to cook with the food products made available to them and in accordance with the menus that are voted on and established by the Arizona Department of Education (United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, 2012). This comes as a result of subsidies provided to school districts and companies that purchase and use their products in their schools (Troutman, 2011). And while the parents and school board officials may see the folly in this and attempt to boycott and create legislation preventing this kind of food in schools, the legislative officials are often also under-pressure from the food industry lobbyists that benefit from the very same actions that these parents are lobbying against (Troutman, 2011). These effects also trickle down to the local agricultural and food businesses as they struggle to compete with corporate food giants. While all of these stakeholders roles are being played out in present time, those of the generations to follow and the adverse effects that may follow them have yet to be played out, but signs are quite indicative as to how this future may be. With staggeringly-high obesity levels in children and adults in the United States and north Scottsdale area, it stands to reason that it is probable that results of obesity in adults will develop in obese children as well, at a faster rate (Levine & Stein, 2008). 2. Causing actions and activities, in conjunction with technologies; causing stakeholders. The causing stakeholders, as derived from the chain described above are the food industry executives and the government officials that support them. When politicians stand

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 3 behind and supply subsidies to food executives in exchange, they implicitly affect what options are the available to PVUSD school officials, parents and children later down the line (Troutman, 2011). However, the government does not hold all of the responsibility for this sustainability problem as many of the parents in north Scottsdale are also to blame for their childrens lack of nutrition. After speaking with and polling several north Scottsdale parents, a large number admitted to sending their children to school with an average of two dollars a day to use at the vending machines (B. Gordon and T. Rucker, personal communication, February 20, 2012). At one of the PVUSD schools, Grayhawk Elementary, it was observed that none of the snacks were below 150 calories and most had sodium levels exceeding 500 mg and total fat percentages of 15%. While the children are not forced to use the money on specific items, it is likely that they will continue with this habit as long as they are provided the funds to do so. Another issue lies within the lowered costs of manufactured foods and those supplied by the USDA to schools. The film Food Inc. explains how as technologies have improved in regards to mass food production and replication, it has become much cheaper to produce and purchase food products from these highly industrialized suppliers as opposed to more local and natural sources. As we continue to move further away from local suppliers of the food in public schools, we increase the food miles necessary to get it to them. This increased trek causes the fresh foods to lose a substantial amount of their nutritional values, making them even worse for the children they are being fed to (Hall, 2012).

3. Benefits and benefiting stakeholders. While there is a long list of adverse effects to the actions of the stakeholders involved, all of these actions were made and determined based on the perceived costs and benefits. The benefits to the children for eating at schools are cheaper food that they can afford to eat, more recognizable and name-brand foods being offered (i.e. Cheetos, Wonder Bread, etc.), and instant nutrition (A. Bell, personal communication, March 1, 2012). Parents also benefit from the lower costs of food and are able to allocate this money towards what they deem to be of higher importance (M. Liljenquist, personal communication, March 1, 2012). The Paradise Valley school district administration and school-board officials see the advantage to the food they currently provide as it is cheaper, requires less skill and time to serve, and is encouraged by the government that funds them (M. Lee, personal communication, February 26, 2012). The government, varying from Arizona to national levels, is willing to encourage and cut costs to the food that is sold to schools in the belief that the food industries that they are helping will support them on other issues in the future (Jalonick, 2012). Finally, the stem of these benefits can all be drawn back to the food industry and its executives as the more food they sell, in stores and specifically in schools, the more profits they will be able to glean (Jalonick, 2012).

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 4

4. Underlying motives, needs, and habits. The main motives for nearly all of the stakeholders involved are those of financial value; essentially what decision is the most cost effective (A. Bell, personal communication, March 1, 2012). Children will buy whatever they can afford, so if a parent gives them a dollar to spend after-school for snack and the crackers cost a dollar whereas a bag of chips and a soda cost the same price, it is quite obvious as to which snack they would select. If a parents decision is between purchasing and making lunches for their children every day or a yearly school-lunch program that is reasonably priced, it is again easy to see the motive behind their decision (Paradise Valley Unified School District, 2012). When school officials determine who they will purchase their food products from that will create their school lunches, they may be envisioning what they could put the money they may have left over from selecting cheaper, lower quality food products towards (M. Lee, personal communication, February 26, 2012). As government officials are determining where they should allocate subsidies in the food industry, they may be inclined to provide them to the same food industries that provided them with funding for a recent initiative of theirs or intrinsic donations towards their campaigns (Troutman, 2011). The motives for the food industry are what is the most cost-effective, and if manufacturing and supplying highly-processed and engineered food products are the most cost-effective option, it is likely that they will continue to select that option until circumstances make it unavailable (Jalonick, 2012).

5. Social rules. The rules that guide the determination of what foods are provided in school systems are both informal and formal; while the majority of them exist in the form of laws and regulations there are still many informal norms that guide them as well. The norm at schools for children is to either buy a school lunch or bring one from home (D. Hamideh, personal communication, February 28, 2012). While eating from home may appear to be a healthier option in comparison to what is being offered in schools, it is common for homemade meals to consist of a sandwich and chips or even a premade, packaged lunch (L. Byrnes, personal communication, March 2, 2012). Many kids would be confused by the appearance of a salad in their lunch or even a bag of fruit. This makes many children request the staples of what is popular and shy away from eating strange but healthier options. However, the main source of rules still stems from the national and local legislature that backs what food is provided in schools. The Arizona Board of Education must implement the national programs after voters agree upon its approval (Health and Nutrition, 2012). Regardless of what parents may think about the contents of these lunches, the contents will remain the same and their only option is to either send their child with a sack lunch or continue purchasing the school lunches.

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 5 6. Available resources. As discussed in the section titled underlying motives, needs, and habits, the primary resource in this nutritional debacle is money. Simply, the cheaper option often wins. However, this is not the only resource that comes into play as the food itself must too be considered. Current technologies have made processed foods one of the cheapest and easily available options (Food Inc., 2008). This has only encouraged companies to pump more funding into these companies and neglect local and organic routes as opposed to seeing how they could be altered to become of similar economic value instead (Jalonick, 2012). As local businesses are refused by big-ticket consumers like schools, their business suffers until they can no longer operate. This leaves schools with their only option of being what is left to them, regardless of its lack of health benefits. Schools also lack the authority to have much of a role when it comes to the decision-making process (Health and Nutrition, 2012). They are essentially forced to utilize whatever they can afford with the means that are provided to them, regardless of what this leaves them to choose from.

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 6 Diagram

Legislation, Subsidies, and Requirements from School Officials

Issue of Money and the desire to fit in among children

Children, parents, school officials, governm ent, lobbyists and the food industry.

Policy-making, purchase of food products, making of school lunches, purchase of school lunches.

Cheaper lunches.

Unhealthy and low in nutrition lunches.

Food products available.

Food technologies available.

The Neglect of Nutrition and its Effect on the Paradise Valley Unified School Districts Youth 7 References Arizona Farm Bureau (2012). AG facts. Retrieved from http://azfb.org/ag-facts.html Downs, Shauna M. (2011). Alberta nutrition guidelines for children and youth: awareness and use in schools. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 72 (3), 137. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1995ea2c-e3c44059-8c03-c2f13bb7526b%40sessionmgr4&vid=2&hid=13 Hall, Greg (2012). Can food lose its nutritional value over time? Retrieved from http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/Article/Can-Food-Lose-Its-Nutritional-Value-Over-Time/7869 Health and Nutrition (2012). Final rule: nutrition standards in the national school lunch and school breakfast programs. Retrieved from http://www.azed.gov/healthnutrition/2012/03/09/final-rule-nutrition-standards-in-the-national-school-lunch-and-schoolbreakfast-programs/ Jalonick, Mary Clare (2012). School lunches to have more veggies, whole grains. AZFamily.com. Retrieved from http://www.azfamily.com/news/health/School-lunches-to-have-more-veggieswhole-grains--138058013.html Levine, Susan, & Rob Stein (2008). Obesity threatens a generation: catastrophe of shorter spans, higher health costs. Washington Post. Paradise Valley Unified School District. (2012). K-8 lunch menus. Retrieved from http://www.pvschools.net/lunchMenu.htm Pearlstein, Elise, & Kenner, Robert. (2008). Food, Inc. United States: Magnolia Pictures. Troutman, Reed (2011). Chalk talk food advocacy and the national school lunch program. Journal of Law & Education, 40 (2), 383. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=531BRTP0-00CV-S0RT&csi=165795&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. (2012, March 2). Nutrition standards for school meals. Retrieved from
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/nutritionstandards.htm