Childhood Obesity In Schools

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Nutrition in Schools
Schools need to address the problem of childhood obesity with nutrition by reducing fat levels in lunches, removing junk foods within the school, and providing or developing more of a nutrition curriculum. This problem needs to be addressed and it all starts with the programs food. Foods within the school are very unhealthy for children and there has to be healthier options. Within schools, students “should receive no more than 24 grams of fat”, while they consume “31 grams of fat”(Yeoman). The fat levels in schools are too high for the children to eat. Schools need to take junk food out of the vending machines and the cafeteria or else children are going to develop a bad habit of eating junk foods at an young age. Meanwhile, …show more content…
Some researchers show that “approximately 16% of children are obese” (Union of Concerned Scientists). According to the law, schools are required to “restrict fat content in lunches to 30 percent of the calories served each week”(Yeoman). USDA suggests, that a student eats a total of 24 grams of fat. But because of the school lunches students eat more, approximately 34 grams of fat. Time magazine had done some research for this problem. In the experiment they had some children that were obese and some that were normal weight. The results for some research is that “kids who ate school lunches were 29% more likely to be obese than kids who brought lunch from home.”(Melnick). The kids that eat school lunch a obese due to the fat levels in the food within the cafeteria they are just overwhelming for the children. While other children are leading a healthy life the obese children are becoming obese adults. Being obese has great tolls to pay like the fact that they have an increased chance of obtaining Type II Diabetes, hypertension, or other diseases. These fat levels within the schools lunch programs are hurting children all over the globe, some schools have changed their lunch and began to serve more healthier options but, not all of …show more content…
These junk foods are found within the schools vending machines, snack bars, and the school stores. Vending machines normally have fatty foods like chips and candy bars, but instead of those they would “have to decide between an apple or carrot sticks” or other fruits and vegetables.(Codey). These fatty foods don’t help with the fact that kids are becoming obese. Kids need to have better options to choose from but, they don’t normally get that within vending machines. Due to these vending machines kids eat less of the nutrients that they need. Kids have eaten “33 percent less fruit, 42 percent less vegetables and 35 percent less milk” than what they need to eat due to these junk foods.(Harkin). Junk foods take a big role within children being obese, so junk foods should be taken out of schools in
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