The Concept of Healthy Lunch Provision - Essay Example

English 106 Paper #3 Assignment Sheet Argument Research Essay Introduction: We have completed an archival/observation of the meal menus as well as conducted a literature review to determine what controversies exist surrounding school lunch reform. It was March 2010, when Michelle Obama started a conversation with the authorities of Food Industry in a challenging way to express the needs to set up. Her campaign with the Grocery Manufacturers was to lower the obesity program for the school children to live active and healthy for whole life. She started her project against obesity problem in the children under the supervision of Obama’s administration, and it was aimed to decrease the obesity in children up to 2030 by zero percent. School lunch reforms proposed by Michelle Obama and now do not required work because of three reasons (Huber). 1. Michelle Obama hit the first point by convincing the food companies; such as Doriots, Froot Loops, and SpaghettiOs to prepare only healthy foods for the children by changing the packaging system. Her arguments were very impressive for the child specialists’ doctors. She also stated the thinking of the caring parents who get helpless in the presence of junk foods to make their children overweight. She made the mind of health nutritionist of New York University by saying the statement, “It was a knockout. And absolute knockout” 2. Michelle Obama was recognized as a best spokeswoman by running the campaign against obesity children. She urged for light calories lunch for the school children to not increase the weight. For this purpose, she requested to the food companies to advertise only obesity-free foods in the marketing process. The concept of Group and partnership food marketing service was introduced by following the settled rules and regulations to prepare and sale low calories and anti-obesity foods for children during their lunch in the schools, and many food companies were ready for these types of partnerships for their school children. 3. Main achievement of Michelle Obama campaign is that many food companies have changed their products accordingly her wish for the sake of anti-obesity program. During a summit, which was organized by the Partnership for a Healthier America, in November 2011, Michelle Obama addressed the audience by congratulating the food manufacturing companies by lowering the quantity of salt and sugar from the school children’s’ lunch menus. She also congratulated to those grocery stores to helping the students by healthy and weight free food items. During the summit, she also appreciated the efforts of children and parents to cooperate her mission for their welfare. Round about sixty five years ago, a lunch program for the school children American federal was introduced to make them healthy. During the great depression of 1930s, the concept of school lunch program was introduced by provision of small amount of funds through government on the ad hoc basis. But these funds were not enough for the each student of every school, and poor students were in need of food due to the stark of world war two. In 1946, a political party Congress take an initiative step to pass an Act “as a measure of national security” by naming it National School Act. It was a guaranteed law for the food provision to the millions of needy school children. The provision of school lunch program by the government of America not only benefited the children but also expanded the range of business communities of agriculture and cafeteria fields on the basis of subsidized food program. In start the program was not as successful due to lack of proper management, but in these days the lunch is totally free of cost for those children whose families have low incomes or belong to poor class (HINMAN). A British TV chef Jamie Oliver stated about the school lunch menus during ABC News interview that, “Children are getting diabetes, heart disease, and all sorts of diseases that only used to show up in adults, because of the food they are eating. We can influence this in a massive way by improving at least one daily meal, school lunch.” (Oliver, 2009) When there was no restriction of lunch commodities by the Government officials, then the school administrations did not care for calorie control strategies and the students were free to whatever they like; such as French fries, pizza, nachos, junk foods, candy, soda, etc. the carefree behavior of lunch selection has increased the serious obesity issue in the country. It is well known that in these days the school lunch program has become an obesity issue for the children from their early age. Now, the US government has been introducing anti obesity programs in the schools since 2000s with the support of health nutritionists, parents, food companies, school administrations and the grocery stores. Since 2009, President Obama and his wife Michelle Obama are taking keen interest in this regard by running campaigns to educate the people (HINMAN). The need of school lunch reforms has become the basic need of US government, because one out of three American teenagers and children are overweight. In a published report “Too Fat to Fight”, a retired community of military services was not happy with the current lunch program for the school children. The military group blamed that due to school lunch programs, twenty seven percent American youth is unable to join the military due to obesity. Another report of Michigan 6th graders stated that the regular consumption of school lunch has a greater risk of obesity rather than watching TV programs or playing video games for more than three hours. Food experts and activist are hopeful to end up the obesity issue by introducing more food programs, which needs more funds availability (HINMAN). It is a realty that the number of childhood-obesity is increasing day by day for the past 2 or 3 decades, which is an alarming situation in terms of health issues and for the normal living standard. According to a data analysis report, the number of overweighed children from five to seventeen years old has become 5% to 19% from 1980 to 2008. The reasons of children’s obesity are the unhealthy or junk foods dietary patterns and the low activities physically. Majority of children take a very few servings of fruits or vegetables regularly, some children do not take interest to attend the classes of physical education to living active, and mostly children have become the TV addicted by watching programs for more than three hours daily. So, it is a sad situation that the less interest for the healthy foods in taking and absence of physical activities resulting in obesity increase from the children’s early ages (Cluss PA). The chairperson of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges states that, “Allowing children in academies and free schools to be exposed to unhealthy choices, unhealthy foods and unhealthy diets when there is still huge concern in this country about obesity in children is definitely a backward step. Too many schools have been allowed to withdraw from this excellent, evidence based system.” (Stephenson, 2014) School is a place, where the children spend their 40% time of 24 hours and also eat or drink there on the daily basis. If the school cafeterias start to sale only weight free lunch, then the problem of child obesity can be controlled very easily. For this purpose the society has to play its role by implementing the different strategies. School administration should accept the offers of those stakeholders, who can help to solve the overweight issue by specific food recipes for the children. The results will be very efficient, when the children will have no option to buy unhealthy or junk foods. At last they will use to eat and drink only obesity free food, which will maintain their daily routine of live (Cluss PA). In United States, the school meal dietary pattern has become a prior issue to pass a bill for child nutrition better health since 2010 by the government of President Obama. Now a day, many schools in the United States are struggling to create an eating environment by offering the healthy choices of foods and drinks. For this purpose, firstly the President Obama proposed a bill of 10 billion dollars to spend on child nutritional programs with the help of Congress Party by renewing the Act of 2004. The bill was proposed for the sake of school children to eat healthy meal in their breakfast and lunch. A special concentration was given to the female students’ health by providing them nutrition accordingly their needs. Many communities appreciated the step of President to doing so for the school children health issue, such as advocates, food companies, grocery stores, etc. For example, the new concept of salad bars at schools was introduced by implementing the interesting techniques to get the attention of the students, who were only familiar with the junk foods or unhealthy foods. In these days, there are salad bars in every elementary and high school in the United States. These salad bars are selling fresh fruits and vegetables in different forms of recipes, which are very delicious in taste and attractive in presentation. If someone would like to visit these types of school, then the experiments of children eating vegetables and fruits will be very fabulous (Health). Homemade lunch for the children are very beneficial, if the mother is expert in cooking and also knows the anti obesity tip for her children. Lunch preparation for the school children is a challenging matter for the mothers or the guardians, because there needs a psychology to save the children from spicy, junk or non healthy food with compare to homemade simple food. So, the mothers should adopt creative and innovative ways for lunch recipes to convince their children for eating healthy and hygienic food. There are several simple and quick recipes of sandwich bread rather than cheesy pizza, oily French fries etc., which are very helpful to maintain the normal weight (Bills). United States Department of Agriculture has been settled down the standards for school meals through different strategies. According to this report, some aims and objectives have settled down by the US government. Obesity has become one of reasons of diabetes and heart disease due to overweight in children. Researchers have predicted that the average age of current generation will be lesser than their parents. Children spend their half day in their schools, also eat and drink there, so there is the need to educate them for eating healthy and anti obesity foods. With the help of scientific recommendations, USDA has introduced the new meal menus for school lunch brakes, which are very nutrients but low in calories. In these days, the lunch boxes for the school students are in right sized accordingly age and weight in different portions. Low fat dairy products, leaner proteins, fruits, grains, and vegetables are the parts of lunch (USDA). The president of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health stated that, “people will argue about the merits or otherwise of giving schools freedom over the curriculum and how children are taught, but when it comes to school food, there can be no debate. It is time to stop politics with the health of our children”. (Dr. Hilary Cass, 2014) The program was started in 2010, since that time many reports have published to show the results of new meal experiments. Through this program, the number of students show that how much they taking their required calories. Active students show their full response to eat everything by ignoring the previous tastes. The new meal program is also very efficient for the needy and the poor students by taking only healthy diet. So, the program has enabled the needy student to eat fruit and vegetables without paying any single penny. USDA is also educating the students to not waste the food, and do not take much meal in their plates while eating. The school administration should cooperate to minimize the food waste (USDA). A campaign “Let’s Move” run by Michelle Obama to change methods of school lunch program is generating positive outcomes to reduce the obesity in the children. Its mean that “National School Lunch Program” has brought many changes during the period of reforms in the schools and at national level too. The changes in the lunches are to ensure the students to eat food and vegetables every day, whole grains and fat free milk is provided to every student. There is totally reduction in terms of saturated fat, sodium and the Trans fat. Parents are very happy as their children are taking and living a healthy lifestyle, as they become active to do every job as a healthy citizen (Jennifer K. Nelson). A leading author of food and its relevant concerns departments states about the low income students for school lunch requirements that, “Many students from lower-income families rely on school meals to get the nutrients they need, so it is critical for schools to offer healthy lunches. We found that those lunches impact kids’ risk for obesity. We also found that students from lower income families had higher obesity rates than other students, which is consistent with findings from other studies. States that had strong nutrition standards for school meals helped eliminate that disparity.” (Dan Taber, PhD, MPH, 2012) In 2013, BBC News conducted a survey to know the response of parents by the provision of free lunch to their school children. Though the survey was conducted in UK, but the response of parents is same everywhere in the world. The concept of healthy lunch provision was great in terms of parents’ response. Some children’s parents said that they were worried before because of unhealthy dietary patterns of the students. Homemade lunches are also prepared in butter or oil, which are cause of obesity. But in the schools, the provision of fruits and vegetables is very comfort situation for everyone. The parents were also happy that the teachers also take the same food that is prepared for the children. School lunch program is also an example of love and care between every background of the students, as the all students at same dining table by ignoring each other’s nationality or identity. The students also learn good antiquates of eating by learning to hold the fork and knives, which is impossible for every students to learn at home or at boarding house. The parents also presented the teachers’ viewpoint after lunch in the class, and they were told that efficiency of students increase after eating lunch. Students concentrate more on studies after taking light but healthy meal and their behavior with their fellows is also very friendly. On the other hand, student taking crispy or oily lunch get anger soon by fighting with their fellows or not living peacefully during study time. The parents were also happy by saving the daily expenditures on lunch preparations (News). Some parents liked the government’s idea to provide healthy and free lunch for the school students, as it is a great virtue to help the poor students. This global message should be spread out all over the world. Some poor and needy families do not send their children to school due to low incomes, but the food free facility enables them to send their children to school for the free facility. Rate of poverty is also increasing day by day, but this step can enable the poor to continue the studies as a healthy citizen. The parents also liked the idea because of increase in catering trade and the related business opportunities. Obesity free lunch for school students is not only beneficial for children but also very helpful for the parents and the business communities in terms of economic growth and national savings. Some parents liked the government step to be helpful for the teachers, who can teach easily the healthy students. The facility of the kitchen enables to the students and teacher to spend more time there (News). A very few parents of the student were not happy with the steps of government initiative to provide free lunch, because they consider it a way of increase in tax burdens. The parents argue that these obesity free lunches cannot improve their children’s health. They think that it is a way of getting popularity for next time elections, and called it a political game. They suggested solving out other economic issues rather than these types of time and financing waste activities (News). It is concluded that the movement of Michelle Obama was great and helpful for everyone. Bibliography Admick, kate. Food revolution: a school lunch expert reacts. 2010. Http://www.theatlantic.com. Bills, stacie. "back-to-school lunch ideas: ditch the sandwich bread." (2013). Cluss pa, fee la, culyba rj, bhat kb, owen k. "effect of food service nutrition improvements on elementary school cafeteria lunch purchase patterns." sch health. 2014; 84: 355-362. (2013). Research article. Health, the nations. "school meal dietry standards a proirity." 2010. Www.thenationshealth.org. Hinman, kristen. "the school lunch wars." (2011). Huber, bridget. "michelles moves." (2012). The nation. Jennifer k. Nelson, r.d., l.d and katherine zeratsky, r.d., l.d. nutrition-wise blog will school lunch changes mean healthier kids? 2012. Http://www.mayoclinic.org. News, bbc. "viewpoints: free school meals for infants." 2013. Usda. The school day just got healthier. 2010. Http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/healthierschoolday/default.htm. Read More