The Responsibility of Healthy School Lunches - Essay Example

? Recently there has been a great concern about obesity in children and adolescents. In conjunction with the growing concern of children’s weight, the quality of school lunches and the ideas of ensuring that children are eating nutritious food at school and are also making health conscience decisions have also come into question. These two problems have caused great concern by school officials, teachers, health professionals and parents. Ultimately, one would think that the parents are primarily responsible for what their children eat and their health. However, there are many school and health professionals who hold the views that responsibility for quality of school lunches falls with the school and federal and local governments also. When looking at available information regarding the health of children in reference to the lunches that they are eating at school, it appears that many feel that specific parties have a responsibility in correcting the problem. One of the reasons why school lunches are being so closely examined is because of the alarming increase in childhood obesity. Since the 1970’s, childhood obesity has doubled. Seventeen percent of children now have a body mass index in the 95th percentile. Thirty-four percent of children are also at risk for obesity due to lifestyle factors (Battista and Wright). Children’s weight statistics are not the only concern. The health implications for being obese are of concern as well. Medical studies have shown that obesity in children and adolescents has lead to several cardiovascular diseases to include hypertension and heart attack and also diseases such as type II diabetes (Ren). Studies also have shown evidence of depression and low self-esteem within children and adolescence that are obese (Ren). The questions being asked now are how to begin to solve the problem and where are the greatest sources of the problems. Some health care professionals feel that schools need to approach the problem of childhood obesity holistically, not only through diet but also through education about healthy choices and how to make them. In addition, many health care professionals feel that school is where the child spends a lot of their time, and therefore where they can be most influenced. Several healthcare professionals believe that because schools are places of learning and therefore should create programs that promote and encourage healthy decisions and also show the children what healthy options are available within school and how to make healthy decisions at home (Battista and Wright). Other healthcare professionals blame schools for unhealthy eating habits because they create an unhealthy environment for eating. Many schools have shortened their lunch periods so much that many students will only have seven minutes to eat once they get through the line and sit down at the table. According to Dr. Arthur Agastan, because students have such a short amount of time to eat, children are making food decisions that are fast to order and eat, which are often the unhealthy choices. This in turn sets them up to only want fast food, especially when there is a time constraint (Parker-Pope). There are some opinions that feel the government should be doing more to improve the quality of school lunches. Recently, the government passed legislation that limits the amount of calories that can be served within a school lunch. However, just because it is lower in calories does not mean that the lunch is healthier or more nutritious. Often healthier and more nutritious options cost considerably more than the less healthy alternatives. Because healthier options cost more, either the school cannot afford to provide the healthier food, especially in schools which have a high enrollment of providing free lunch or the families cannot afford to pay the full price for the lunch (Ren). In these cases there are opinions which call for local, state and federal government agencies to increase funding of these programs so that schools can afford to provide healthier options for the free lunch program and make the cost more affordable to families who do not qualify for free lunch and have to pay the full price. There are also opinions that if the government is going to regulate school lunch, then vending machines in schools should also provide healthier options. When children see that they can get a candy bar through a vending machine at school they will most likely buy it if they want it, rather than something healthier at the lunch counter. Regulation of calories of within a vending machine is just as important as regulating the lunches provided (Ren). There are also opinions shared by many professionals who feel that parents need to be the most involved in regards the health and food decisions of their children. Not only should parents be informed of what the school is serving but be proactive in making changes where they are needed. Parents should make a call for change when schools are serving foods high in calories and fat. For example, they could rally for healthier foods such as salad bars and make a call for schools to be more transparent in the ingredient and nutrition content of dishes. Parents should also encourage schools to increase educational programming and health awareness for the students so that they can help make better decisions for themselves and to improve their health (Wu.) I feel very passionately about this topic. This is because I have school-aged grandchildren who eat school lunches and I am very concerned if they are eating healthy food while in school. I also have worked in schools for a very long time and I see on a daily basis the poor eating habits child make and the weight problems that are associated with them. While governments, schools and nutritionists all have some part in ensuring today’s children are healthy and are eating nutritious foods, ultimately it is the parents responsibility. Parents can encourage and make a stand for healthier options in the schools, but they cannot control the schools or the lunches that are served. In addition, it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor their child’s activity levels. Childhood obesity is not only caused by poor eating, but also by lack of exercise. Parents need to ensure they are doing all they can at home before they make demands of schools and federal agencies. Works Cited Battista, Ludmila, and Wright, Lisa. “Childhood Obesity: What Schools Can Do to Make ?a difference” Word Press 2 November 2012. Web. 2 March 2012. Parker-Pope, Tara. “Slowing Down School Lunch.” The New York Times. 20 February 2009. Web. 2 March 2012. Ren, Jen. “Healthier School Lunches: The Expensive Costs of Decreasing Childhood Obesity.” Word Press 26 0ctober 2009. Web. 2 March 2012. Wu, Sarah. “5 Ways Parents Can Improve School Lunch.” New York Times 12 Feb. 2010. Web. 2 March 2012. Read More