Does Junk Food in School Matter?

Does Junk Food in Schools Matters?

In recent decades, junk food sales in schools have long been blamed for contributing to childhood obesity as it is commonly sold in school vending machines and sometimes in school cafeteria. In light of this, there are certain schools having their own meal plans and completely banning the food selection for students to only healthy choices. The concern we have is that whether junk food sold in schools the main reason for childhood obesity. With regard to this concern, supporters of banning junk food argue that selling junk food in schools make students vulnerable to heart diseases, diabetes and a number of other chronic illnesses. However, I think there is no point of banning junk food in schools because school setting to junk food only represents a small part of the issue, and students deserve to be able to choose what they want to eat and there are more effective ways than to merely banning junk food in schools. To begin with, junk food sold in school is not a major reason of childhood obesity. Schools only represent a small portion of children's food environment. It is that most of the junk food they are eating is not coming through the schools. Junk food is available elsewhere. Children can get food at home. They can get food in their neighborhoods, and they can go across the street from the school to buy food in supermarkets. Additionally, kids are actually very busy at school and normally regulation in schools restricts students to eat or drink inside the classrooms. Thus, there really isn't a lot of opportunity for children to eat while they are in school, or at least eat endlessly, compared to when they are at home. More importantly, children’s eating habits are mostly influenced by their parents. What kinds of food their parents buy from supermarkets and what kinds of meal their parents made for their children will affect children’s perception of his parents’ attitude towards food. For younger students,