We have a crisis on our hands with childhood obesity on the rise. Two main causes for the fattening of our children are junk food and sugary sodas. Junk food and soda often take the place of healthy foods in our kids’ diets, something that most school systems should be ashamed of. School lunches are a cause of childhood obesity in America, at least in U-46 schools. In order to put an end to childhood obesity, the schools needs to prepare a healthy yet balanced diet for all kids, by serving them with good food that is full of nutrition.
Students are being fed unhealthy lunches at school cafeterias simply because it is cheaper to produce unhealthy processed foods so alternatives and healthier food go away. Unfortunately money takes precedence over the health of students; from the perspective of the school boards, it is much cheaper to have processed foods made for them by other companies instead of making healthier foods right in the schools. Also, processed and pre-made foods are cheaper than fresh homemade foods, which would also make healthier foods more expensive. Therefore, the logic said that if schools were to make the food healthier and as a result more expensive, in order to cover the costs the students would have to pay more. Unfortunately, student and parents rely on these lunches because they do not have the income to be able to afford either full-priced or homemade lunches.
As a result, his own recommendations include: limiting the consumption of sodas, junk food as well as avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. Weintraub's argument is that parental responsibility in food choices and physical activity over kids will result in combating childhood obesity, rather than only blaming the fast food industry by itself. To concur with Weintraub, it is the parent's responsibility to combat childhood obesity, although fast food industry also shares the responsibility. It is the role of the parents to instill good eating habits and to serve as role models for their children. If the kid has no medical reason for gaining weight then it seems acceptable to blame the parents.
Too much of a good thing Greg Crister has written an article about obesity in children in today’s world called Too much of a good thing. He argues that in order to stop obesity, we should stigmatize overeating. What he suggests is simple solution for a very difficult problem that many children in the United States are facing. This solution however is just too inhumane to put into practice. We are after all dealing with children and not lab animals.
The government can help curb this issue by implementing programs to eliminate food deserts in low-income areas. The elimination of these food deserts and the addition of healthy supermarkets in these areas can increase the potential of eating healthy, whereas without supermarkets there is no other option besides junk food. Also the government can start to exclude certain unhealthy, high calorie foods and only allow healthier foods to be bought under programs like food stamps. Also the government can provide
Assignment 2.1: The Public Needs to Know English 115 02.05.2015 The current status of school meals is that they are full of fat and do not contain enough nutritious value. There are changes that need to be made in order to preserve the health and wellbeing of the children in society. The changes to be made are in the school breakfast and lunch programs. In order to effectively change the program you have to understand the economic issues, the population that is being served and their needs, the process and the benefits of the program. One major economic issue is the rising ate of unemployment.
What role do American parents play in child obesity? Child obesity has become a major issue in America. Children as young as 5 years old have been diagnosed with adult diseases like, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Parents are aware of the complications that their children can suffer with a “lazy” life style. These lifestyles range from sedentary habits, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise.
In addition to this, whole milk tastes better and may be the only way to encourage picky eater kids to drink milk. This is due to the fact that children who are picky eaters simply do not get enough fats and calories needed by their bodies from the rest of their diet. However, there has been a recent report which stated that the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a recommendation for children between the ages of 12 months to 2 years of age to switch to reduced-fat or low fat milk, particularly if they are already overweight or if they have a family history of overweight and high cholesterol conditions. This is due to the fact that whole milk contains a lot of fat in it which is the leading cause of childhood obesity. * Whole Milk - 150 Calories - 8g Fat * 2% Milk - 120 Calories - 4.5g Fat (Reduced fat milk) * 1% Milk - 100 Calories - 2.5g Fat (Low-fat milk) * Skim Milk - 80 Calories - 0g Fat (Nonfat milk) As a result of these conflicting reports, this student decided to venture to his
Lastly, the stores that carry this company’s products are also affected. The ethical issues at hand involve false advertising, negatively impacting the health of children, and receiving bonuses based on harming others. Childhood obesity is currently a major issue. By gaining the attention and trust from parents who are looking for healthier breakfast choices for their children, this company is deliberately taking advantage of them. In the end, it is the children and their wellbeing that will be hurt the most.
This will result in improved, healthier lunches and breakfasts around the country. Although many healthy, nutritious foods may not be the tastiest, the government should impose restrictions on what kind of foods can be served in cafeterias because they choose foods that are nutritious for children, and more than one in three of children in the United States are obese and need to be healthier. What are the most delicious foods to students? Well, the foods that students enjoy eating the most may not be allowed to be severed at their lunch. This is due to the fact some of the most delicious foods are the unhealthiest.