Learning Healthy Eating Habits

Obesity has become a rising concern across America especially in young children. Lunchroom food along with snacks available on school campus may be a leading cause of obesity in youth today. Children need to be taught the importance of a healthy diet in school and learn how to practice it. It has been proven that if children are offered healthy choices in foods they will except them. However, many schools do not have such healthy choices. The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act is addressing the issues of renewing the standards for snacks and beverages offered with lunch meals. I have not seen much evidence of this within the cafeteria at many schoold besides the offering of fruit with their lunch. My hometown highschool did, however, remove all drinks containing cafenine from the machines. This school did not have a vending machine, but it some schools that may pose as a problem. A Center for Science in the Public Interest study showed that most of the items offered were highly unhealthy. It is not regluated by USDA standards and may therefore offer anything is wishes. Schools may also have a school ran snack store which my high school would have an example of. This is also not regulated by USDA standards. Students may purchse unhealthy snacks to have during their breaks or other parts of the day. However, schools who have both a vending machine and a school run snack store are just adding extra temptations to the students to make unhealthy choices throughout the school day. To make a change the parents, teachers, and students must all become involved. It is an increasing issue that needs a solution and that solution starts with schools!

Resource:
http://getkidsinaction.org/lunchroom