Elementary School Nutrition and The Body
Children between ages six and eleven are clearly still growing physically. When considering bodily progression, the phrase “you are what you eat” typically comes to mind—this idiom is especially true for elementary school students’ bodily progression. Since elementary school students typically eat five school made lunches each week, the nutritional value of these lunches dictates their current and future health. So, we must examine the state of modern nutrition, the effects it has on young developing bodies, and efforts to improve hot lunches in order to assess American elementary school nutrition. After all, who wants to be a McDouble with everything on it?
Today’s schools are famous for offering their students meals with low nutritional value. According to a government survey, high sugar and carbohydrate snacks, such as candy and soda, contest with nutritious options (CBS News, 2009). As Iowa Senator Tom Harkin asks “"Would anyone advocate that we take the fences off the playground for elementary schools and just let kids run around in the streets? By the same token, why would we allow schools to sort of poison our kids with junk food?" (CBS News, 2009). This raises another, more basic question: what have schools recently been feeding children ages six to eleven?
Take a look at the following chart describing the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012).
Today’s schools are famous for offering their students meals with low nutritional value. According to a government survey, high sugar and carbohydrate snacks, such as candy and soda, contest with nutritious options (CBS News, 2009). As Iowa Senator Tom Harkin asks “"Would anyone advocate that we take the fences off the playground for elementary schools and just let kids run around in the streets? By the same token, why would we allow schools to sort of poison our kids with junk food?" (CBS News, 2009). This raises another, more basic question: what have schools recently been feeding children ages six to eleven?
Take a look at the following chart describing the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012).
Clearly, recent elementary school lunches have been traditionally low in nutrition. Previously, canned and frozen fruit filled with preservatives appeared as a staple for a child’s lunch, ranging from canned pears to the ever appetizing “frozen fruit juice bar.” In 2008, the British Food Standards Agency found preservatives can increase childhood hyperactivity. According to the FSA, “hyperactive behavior interferes with learning and especially with the improvement of reading skills, food additives may be having an impact on children's educational development” (Sayre, 2008). Thus, it is safe to say that hot lunches in America before the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act inhibited their education, and therein the current goal for American elementary school meals is beneficial towards a better overall American education.
Another apparent change in these lunches is the sudden appearance of whole grain instead of carbohydrates. The bun of the hot dog and the bread of the pizza sticks are chock full of carbohydrates, a chemical compound in food famous for not giving the consumer a feeling of fullness for a long while. Imagine the feeling of a hungry eight year old with two more hours of school left. How would it be possible to concentrate and learn? This recent modification is vital to the students in terms of their education, but also their health. Whole grain is easily one of the foodstuffs that are omitted from modern diets. By introducing children to whole grain at a young age, we are promoting healthy choices and providing the opportunity for a proper education.
Last but not least, we must pay attention to the shift away from fatty foods. One obvious dietary effect is the formation of the body, and obesity has popularly become a topic of American health. Obesity, which modern nutritionists typically define as a high weight to height ratio, is quickly overtaking the American adult population. According to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “the U.S. obesity prevalence increased from 13 percent to 32 percent between the 1960s and 2004” (Johns Hopkins, 2007). Adulthood obesity is easily acquired through childhood habits and can lead to other harmful health conditions, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Since elementary school students typically spend six hours of their day in school, the school clearly influences the health and wellbeing of American youth. These influences can be broken down into dietary, emotional, and exercise categories.
Another apparent change in these lunches is the sudden appearance of whole grain instead of carbohydrates. The bun of the hot dog and the bread of the pizza sticks are chock full of carbohydrates, a chemical compound in food famous for not giving the consumer a feeling of fullness for a long while. Imagine the feeling of a hungry eight year old with two more hours of school left. How would it be possible to concentrate and learn? This recent modification is vital to the students in terms of their education, but also their health. Whole grain is easily one of the foodstuffs that are omitted from modern diets. By introducing children to whole grain at a young age, we are promoting healthy choices and providing the opportunity for a proper education.
Last but not least, we must pay attention to the shift away from fatty foods. One obvious dietary effect is the formation of the body, and obesity has popularly become a topic of American health. Obesity, which modern nutritionists typically define as a high weight to height ratio, is quickly overtaking the American adult population. According to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “the U.S. obesity prevalence increased from 13 percent to 32 percent between the 1960s and 2004” (Johns Hopkins, 2007). Adulthood obesity is easily acquired through childhood habits and can lead to other harmful health conditions, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Since elementary school students typically spend six hours of their day in school, the school clearly influences the health and wellbeing of American youth. These influences can be broken down into dietary, emotional, and exercise categories.
A child’s nutritional habits often dictate how they will eat in the future, according to Help Cure Child Obesity, a group who aims to “educate families about the health risks associated with child obesity, the main causes of child obesity and how to create a healthier lifestyle as a family” (Seig, 2011). HCCO claims that when children do not learn how to make healthy choices, then they will “usually eat the same things their friends are eating,” and with the overwhelming amount of fast but fatty snacks, it is no wonder young children begin and continue to consume potato chips and candy (Seig, 2011). We see this most prevalent in elementary schools where youth often follow the norm that unhealthy foods are fun and different because they are the Forbidden Fruits of their lives.
Especially in an environment where “caring is sharing,” students risk acquiring unhealthy eating habits just by showing up to school. For example, if Adam walks into class with a fun-size bag of Cheetos, Brittany and Chad will ask and receive some from their classmate. Being Brittany’s first time eating Cheetos, she loves them so much she goes home and asks her mom to buy some. The next day, Brittany walks in with some Cheetos and shares with Chad and his friend Devin. Now, Devin loves Cheetos too. This small example of elementary school children’s habits exemplifies the wildfire-like spreading of dietary habits. Even though it is difficult to break the cycle once it begins, there is a simple solution: nutritional education. We will discuss this education when we examine the obesity trends in Japan.
Another factor in obesity acquisition is stress. It may seem silly to consider an elementary school student having stress, but nonetheless they have their own wants and needs in life already, and they worry about achieving their ideal lifestyle like anyone else. School is a common source of stress for elementary school students, and eating is a common stress release. One of the few things children can lobby for is food; they often use food as an escape from their worries (Balantekin & Roemmich, 2012). Speaking from personal experience, a stressed student in my school would often receive special treatment, of which I do not disagree. However, the method of soothing the child often came in the cheapest and fastest form possible: candy. Elementary school staff are to blame for choosing the easy route by just giving a kid instant satisfaction. Of course any 8 year old would gladly have a Butterfinger to cope with losing their favorite toy! The child may come away from the situation with a smile, but issue is their adult version may look back and shake their head, realizing that they are obese because they turned to insalubrious food at a young age. Thus, it is the teacher’s responsibility to refrain from using snacks to prevent or halt bad behavior. In the end, all the student would learn is that unhealthy food is the answer, and I do not think that is in the lesson plan.
Especially in an environment where “caring is sharing,” students risk acquiring unhealthy eating habits just by showing up to school. For example, if Adam walks into class with a fun-size bag of Cheetos, Brittany and Chad will ask and receive some from their classmate. Being Brittany’s first time eating Cheetos, she loves them so much she goes home and asks her mom to buy some. The next day, Brittany walks in with some Cheetos and shares with Chad and his friend Devin. Now, Devin loves Cheetos too. This small example of elementary school children’s habits exemplifies the wildfire-like spreading of dietary habits. Even though it is difficult to break the cycle once it begins, there is a simple solution: nutritional education. We will discuss this education when we examine the obesity trends in Japan.
Another factor in obesity acquisition is stress. It may seem silly to consider an elementary school student having stress, but nonetheless they have their own wants and needs in life already, and they worry about achieving their ideal lifestyle like anyone else. School is a common source of stress for elementary school students, and eating is a common stress release. One of the few things children can lobby for is food; they often use food as an escape from their worries (Balantekin & Roemmich, 2012). Speaking from personal experience, a stressed student in my school would often receive special treatment, of which I do not disagree. However, the method of soothing the child often came in the cheapest and fastest form possible: candy. Elementary school staff are to blame for choosing the easy route by just giving a kid instant satisfaction. Of course any 8 year old would gladly have a Butterfinger to cope with losing their favorite toy! The child may come away from the situation with a smile, but issue is their adult version may look back and shake their head, realizing that they are obese because they turned to insalubrious food at a young age. Thus, it is the teacher’s responsibility to refrain from using snacks to prevent or halt bad behavior. In the end, all the student would learn is that unhealthy food is the answer, and I do not think that is in the lesson plan.
And finally, another factor of obesity in elementary schools is lack of exercise (Seig, 2011). Evidently elementary school lunches still deprive their students of truly healthy meals, and these calories are not being burned. Recent advances in technology are easy to blame; rather than kids running around outside all day, they choose to sit inside and watch T.V. or play on the computer. According to livestrong.com, “only 42 percent of boys age 5 to 8 receive the recommended daily allowance of exercise, while only 11 percent of girls in the same age group receive enough daily exercise” (Sheehan, 2011). The numbers do not lie. In order to maintain an average healthy lifestyle, about 75% of youth need more physical activity (Sheehan, 2011). Moreover, obese children have some ground to make up since they already lead unhealthy lifestyles. Also, the American Association for the Child's Right to Play claims “as many as 40 percent of school districts in the United States have reduced recess in the aftermath of the No Child Left Behind Act, which emphasizes testing scores” (Pappas, 2011). Is it moral for the government to sacrifice a person’s body as an attempt to raise scores?
One possible solution to childhood obesity: prevention. According to the Department of Pediatrics and Public Health in Kagoshima University in Japan found an interesting trend. Apparently, “obesity prevalence increases for boys during elementary school years but does not significantly increase for girls” (Yoshinaga et al, 2004). Thus, we know a possible prevention method is correctly feeding elementary school students, especially boys. Young boys, around the age of 6, are especially at risk for development of obesity. Since American elementary school children typically purchase one meal per day from their school, it is the schools job to feed them a nutritious meal to healthily support their body.
All in all, the physical condition of elementary school kids largely depends on the school. Namely, these schools need to provide healthier meals and offer more opportunities to exercise. And although recent legislation, such as the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act, puts America on track for a healthier nation, the transformation needs to happen fast. If we do not act, then America will continue the rapid influx of obesity and harmful obesity caused illnesses.
One possible solution to childhood obesity: prevention. According to the Department of Pediatrics and Public Health in Kagoshima University in Japan found an interesting trend. Apparently, “obesity prevalence increases for boys during elementary school years but does not significantly increase for girls” (Yoshinaga et al, 2004). Thus, we know a possible prevention method is correctly feeding elementary school students, especially boys. Young boys, around the age of 6, are especially at risk for development of obesity. Since American elementary school children typically purchase one meal per day from their school, it is the schools job to feed them a nutritious meal to healthily support their body.
All in all, the physical condition of elementary school kids largely depends on the school. Namely, these schools need to provide healthier meals and offer more opportunities to exercise. And although recent legislation, such as the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act, puts America on track for a healthier nation, the transformation needs to happen fast. If we do not act, then America will continue the rapid influx of obesity and harmful obesity caused illnesses.
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