The Decrease Of Childhood Obesity In Schools

Many children of the elementary and middle school ages have progressively started to get bigger and bigger each year. Much of this weight gain has been blamed on the cafeteria food these children are receiving five days a week. The cafeteria food these children are receiving are high in fat and sodium instead of being nutritious such as fruits and vegetables. These unhealthy food items are easier to receive and less expensive to obtain for the school system. These factors have led to an increase in childhood obesity across the nation. If we were to eliminate fatty foods from these children’s lunches, then the rate of childhood obesity and the consequences associated with childhood obesity would slowly start to decline. Put Source in Intro*** …show more content…
Offering classes to these students will give them a better background on the food given to them eat. Per a study done by the Dairy Council of California students took what they learned in the classroom and used it in real life situations – “I had a student that went above and beyond and prepared a shopping list of healthy meals for her mom to take to the grocery store! I thought it was amazing to see the students who encouraged their family members to eat healthier” (Copp). This student took what she learned and helped her mother choose foods that were better for them both. Educating students lets them leave the classroom and encourage those around them to shop …show more content…
In a study done by the Pennridge school district, after the school started serving more fruits, vegetables and whole grain options at lunch it left them with $78,774 to come up with to fund these new lunches (Wolfgang). However, if schools were to get rid of all the junk food all together and gather that money they could come very close to the same amount as the previous lunches would cost. Also, if schools were struggling to pay for the new lunch style there is always the option of fundraising to help pay. School officials also believe “Unfortunately, there is a perception that if we fix school meals we can fix childhood obesity. But the reality is that school meals are already the healthiest meals that many children eat… (Wolfgang). School lunches are not the healthiest food students get the ‘unknown’ glob of meat paste that’s thrown on the plate that students have no idea what is in it is not healthy. Offering more fresh produce and whole grain will lead to a healthier school environment among the students. Overall, school lunches play a role in the rise in childhood obesity and should help in reducing the effects of it. Schools should give students healthier alternative options as well as promoting and educating students on the benefits of eating right. Over time and with practice schools will offer food choices that will