Should schools be allowed to sell "junk" food?

[Papa Deuce]

I was in my old high school and there were vending machines full of junk food everywhere. The cafeteria sells ice cream and candy.

With the epidemic of obesity, should schools be allowed to keep doing this?

 

[Swimnoid]

I dont think so. My DD's school had soda machines as well. When I was a kidd we didnt drink soda or eat a lot of junk food and we weren't fat. Now I do and I am! It seems just looking at the crowds leaving the building that the kids are a lot bigger now. I think it would be better to limit their access dring the school day.

 

[wheelerkidz3]

i don't think they should be allowed to either. my kids are still in elementary school, and they don't sell soda during school hours, but i was really surprised to see that they sell soda and candy bars at the after school program. I'm sure that's just what a lot of parents want their kids to have before dinner time!!

 

[Kimberly]

I was about to say "no way" for this, as in being that it is a person's choice to put whatever in their mouth as they so desire. But come to think about it, in high school I used to bring a lunch everyday because the menu consisted of greasy pizza, french fries, burgers, and all other fried foods that had been pre-cooked... all they needed to do was heat it up.

I couldn't even eat the food in the cafeteria because I would have soccer practice nearly every day after school, and if I did eat it, I would be puking on the sidelines during the practice because it would take me so long to digest. I don't think we should get rid of coke or candy machines in high schools, but I do think that cafeteria menus should only be comprised of healthy food. There was a 20/20 episode on this last august when I was on vacation in myrtle beach with my friends (we actually stayed in one night and just ordered take out).

 

[Papa Deuce]

... I don't think we should get rid of coke or candy machines in high schools, but I do think that cafeteria menus should only be comprised of healthy food.

Doesn't this seem rather odd? Have only healthy menus, but also provide as much in useless calories as a kid has money?

Back when I went to HS, in the late 1970s, our cafteria had a whole room of junk food.... soft serve ice crea, candy bars, chips...... and some kids never ate from the menu, or brought lunch, but they sure did but lots of junk food! I know; I was one of them. Pretty much every single day I had an ice cream cone and some other junk food.

I'm sure my parents never gave it a second thought. But parents these days, do, or should.

 

[Kimberly]

The point in that I believe is that kids should learn to make choices. If you force a child to eat healthy, they're going to going to get junk food no matter what.

 

[disney4us2002]

Our county is proposing a drastic change regarding this very thing and they aren't really advertising about it. I think it goes way beyond necessary. I don't have a problem with the vending machines being off during daytime hours (as is the current policy) and healthy lunch choices but if the new proposal passes in January, there will basically be no concessions at sports events, band/musical programs, no food fundraisers, etc. There is a complicated formula for what would be allowed to be sold (individual sizes must be under set % of fat and so many grams of sugar), but definitely no cookie dough, pizza kits, cheesecakes, etc and no pizza or hot dogs at games. As I said, I think they've really gotten nutty about it.

 

[Aidensmom]

It's up to the parents to choose healthy eating habits, not the school's. School is for providing an education in math, english, reading, history, science, etc., not how to take care of yourself in life.

 

[JennaTX]

I don't think what the elementary schools in my area consider "healthy" are the same as mine. About three times a week they serve pizza, hamburgers, chicken fingers, fish sticks, etc. They may pair them with vegetables or fruit, but the main course is still something fried.

 

[Buckalew11]

I was shocked to go into my old high school and see those machines. I am against it.

DDs school has a few machines and they do try to have healthier choices (but I doubt those would sell as much!

Anyway, I'm with you on this. Obesity is a huge problem in this country and having snack machines full of junk available at school is not a good thing.

 

[C.Ann]

I would prefer to see them gone.. If parents have no problem with their kids eating that stuff every day they can buy it themselves and send it from home..

 

[nativetxn]

I can't get excited about this issue one way or another. The parents can teach their children healthy eating habits then it is up to the kid. I doubt that we will "cure" obesity in youngsters by prohibiting junk food in schools.

Especially in high schools. They can leave the school and buy whatever junk food they want.

It's a nice thought, though.

Katholyn

 

[Papa Deuce]

It's up to the parents to choose healthy eating habits, not the school's. School is for providing an education in math, english, reading, history, science, etc., not how to take care of yourself in life.

So, I am confused. Does that means schools should sell whatever they want? I'm sure the parents in most cases do try to promote healthy eating, but there is NO WAY that they can control what their kids eat while at school.

And I disagree with what I put in bold. Most high schools offer health classes, do they not? So, they teach you to eat healthy, and then provide every unhealthy option to the kids at lunch..... That rolled eye is for the school, not you.

 

[LightBurnsBlue]

No, I don't think that schools need to stop selling greasy foods or stop having vending machines with chips and soda. I do think that they need to have healthy options available, but school is for education (math, science, English), not for telling kids what to eat. I think that for most children and teens, their weight depends on how active they are. I had lots of friends in sports, that were active, and they ate pizza and drank soda and were not fat. Just because some students make poor choices (sit on butts all day and eat only junk), should everyone else be deprived? Oh, and I hope no one says "Watch Supersize Me...it'll change your mind!" I've seen it and I still feel this way...

 

[Aidensmom]

So, I am confused. Does that means schools should sell whatever they want? I'm sure the parents in most cases do try to promote healthy eating, but there is NO WAY that they can control what their kids eat while at school.

And I disagree with what I put in bold. Most high schools offer health classes, do they not? So, they teach you to eat healthy, and then provide every unhealthy option to the kids at lunch..... That rolled eye is for the school, not you.

My high school sold all kinds of junk, I have never been close to obese. I ate the way I was brought up to eat. So did all of my friends. If a kid is obsese, it is not the school's fault. I teach my child what is healthy, and also teach him to have respect for his parents opinions. Of course, being a normal child, he will rebel some, but if he gets some french fries at school, it is not going to be his downfall if he is taught to eat healthy in general. Not to mention he is taught and encouraged to excercise, the lack of which is probably more the cause of any childhood obesity than what kind of food is served in schools. So yes, I have no problem with what the school sells.

Most obesity starts at a pretty young age anyways, if you don't want your 8 year old getting unhealthy food at school, pack their lunch and don't give them money.

 

[Nancy]

I can't get excited about this issue one way or another. The parents can teach their children healthy eating habits then it is up to the kid. I doubt that we will "cure" obesity in youngsters by prohibiting junk food in schools.

Especially in high schools. They can leave the school and buy whatever junk food they want.

It's a nice thought, though.

Katholyn

I so agree with you!

In the elementary school they do not have any machines. The middle school has them but the pop and junk are off during the day. The machine that has stuff like lemonade and juice is on. High school is pretty much anything goes. I am maed at the amount of kids I see walking to school carrying their cappachinos, lattes and other coffee drinks. They also leave during lunch and head off the whatever fast food place they want.

Healthy or non healthy eating habits should be taught at home, and I see nothing wrong with an occasional pop, candy bar, ice cream or cookie.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that kids will eat what they want by the time they're in high school so it's important to teach them healthy choices before then. I say to provide them healthy alternatives and leave them alone.

When I was in high school, we just crossed the street to the convenience store on the corner and got what we wanted. Most of us had incomes, many had cars and parents had little to no say by that time.

 

[florida-again]

My school didn't have vending machines, but did sell cookies, brownies and cakes just once a day for 20mins. Looking back, that was probably the best compromise you can have. Because there are some kids for whom obsesity will never be a problem because they are genetically 'blessed'. And for those kids, it won't hurt them to eat a little bit of junk in moderation. Of course then you have to think of the kids that aren't so lucky.....

 

[Puffy2]

No they shouldn't. And it's just an example of schools putting financial gain through corporate ties over the interests of the children.

 

[Saffron]

Holy crap. If a high school aged kid can't make a simple choice about what he or she would like to eat on any particular day, then we as a society are in big trouble. High school aged kids are making more important choices ... choices that affect our communities as a whole ... such as how they choose to drive on the roads, choices about work ethics at their part time jobs, choices about smoking, drinking, trying drugs etc. I think I trust high school aged kids to make their own decisions about what they want to eat on any particular day.