Essay on School Lunches Lead to Obesity in Our Children

Nationally, about 17% of people under the age of 20, about 12.5 million are considered obese. School districts that serve students food that are high in calories and fat are to blame for the growing numbers of obese children. Although school lunches provide students food at minimal costs, the poor quality of food served delivers inadequate nutrition and is responsible for the rising numbers of obese minors in the United States. In order to combat this growing problem, school districts must limit student choices in the lunchroom and provide healthier food nationally. Although some school districts may argue this, it is necessary to do so as school districts in Pennsylvania and Mississippi and university studies support this claim. Despite†¦show more content†¦The problem begins to surface when students are fed food in schools that have low nutritional value. Even though many students consume most of their calories off campus, studies show that school districts that serve healthy school meals and limit foods low in nutritional value have lower rates of obesity. The state of Philadelphia reported a 5.5% drop in obesity rates of students in their school districts. California reported a 5% drop and New York a 4% drop. These numbers were collected between 2007 through 2012 (Eagle). Researchers are unclear of the reasons behind the decrease in obesity. However, what these states all have in common is that they are all fighting the battle of obesity through stricter lunch options. The School District of Pennsylvania established new lunch policies in 2004. With the implementation of the new policies, deep fryers were disposed after the district stopped buying oil to fill them. Whole milk was superseded by skim milk. The district also put limits on the size of chip bags and got rid of unhealthy foods and soft drinks that were previously served. T hrough 2011 and 2012, the School District of Philadelphia reported another 2.5% decrease in obesity prevalence of students. The district regularly takes measurements of students throughout the school year. The decreases of overweight children in the SchoolShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity And Its Effects On Children985 Words   |  4 Pages Despite recent declines in the prevalence among preschool-aged children, obesity among children is still too high. For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents for the past decade (CDC). Childhood obesity does not only affect children, but also has many long term health effects on our children as they get older, including, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in both childhoodRead MoreObesity in Texas Children Essay1134 Words   |  5 PagesObesity has become an epidemic in adults and children in the United States. 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