Should Cafeterias Be Allowed In Schools

Over the last decade the number of overweight and obese children has grown exponentially in western regions. Alarmingly, increasing numbers of children younger than twelve years of age are developing diseases which are normally seen in adults over forty such as type 2 diabetes. As a society, we should be asking ourselves where children are learning that it is normal to have such an unhealthy diet, and where can effective changes be made. The answer is simple: at school. School cafeterias are one of the biggest influences on what foods children eat in their day to day lives. For many children those foods consist of excess refined sugar, salt and saturated fat. Western school cafeterias should significantly improve what they are feeding their …show more content…
Such a large number of preventable deaths among a developed population stresses the point that young children 's poor eating habits stem from the cafeteria of the schools they attend. The cafeteria is also a place of education, not just "lunch time" or "free time". Children can continue to learn how to make good choices subconsciously about healthy meals without being in the classroom with a teacher. Children are not being exposed to the various benefits of eating right thus making them aloof to healthy eating during the beginning stages of their life. They are lacking crucial information of fruits and vegetables and what they have to gain from making the right choices concerning nutrition. An article written in the UK news shares their findings of a survey they conducted to find out how much children know about how their food is grown. It claims, "Almost half of children who took part in a food poll failed to identify how 10 types of fruit were grown, with some believing bananas were made in factories...One in 10 of the youngsters, who were aged six to 10, had no idea that apples grow on trees... one in 10 children also thought chocolate bars grew on trees..." (http://www.mirror.co.uk/ ) Reading the results of this poll can make one think 'how will children eat healthy if they are not even …show more content…
Children addicted to excess amounts of salt and sugar are denied of their optimum health during their childhood, a time in their life meant to be the prime of their health. Young children should not have to struggle with life threatening illnesses that could have been prevented by healthier options. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute claims "Being overweight or obese can lead to a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form. If the clot is close to your brain, it can block the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and cause a stroke." (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ ) To further the consequence of bad eating habits, many people do not survive a stroke or are left with permanent damage. Many of the diseases and illnesses that come along with poor nutrition can leave the body with forever lasting physically obstacles in life. Being overweight can deter children from being physically active because of conditions they may have obtained from having an unhealthy diet as mentioned. This can result in children excluding themselves from sport teams where many valuable skills are gained. An expert from NSW Department of Education and Communities claims, "When you play a team sport you learn that it doesn 't just come down to the best player,"( http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/) This