Taking Junk Food Out of Schools

In recent years, more than a dozen states have considered setting legislation limitations for the accessibility of junk food in schools, most requiring vending equipment to be turned off during certain hours, off until the students lunch break, or increasing the coast of unhealthy foods to discourage students from purchasing it (Parents Advocating School Responsibilities) . In today’s society teenagers are 3 times likely to be overweight than the generation of our parents. According to the 2001 Surgeon General Report establishes that 14 percent of American youth are overweight (Surgeon General 2001). This is compared with 4 percent of American children in 1963. The correspondent also stated that 300,000 citizens pass away each year from obesity-related illnesses or circumstances made worse by obesity (Surgeon General 2001).

The reason for not banning junk food in schools is more students will get in trouble for smuggling in the junk food than other rule breakings. Being able to enforce such a disallow would compel officials to go through a students locker, desk, book bag, desk and lunch boxes, taking up much needed time for the facilitator to teach and harming the students’ privacy. It should be up to parents on deciding what foods their children consume. If a child wants to have a little snack or sugary foods in their lunches they should be allowed to if it’s ok with their parents (Borkar 2011). Consumption of junk food is not bad if it’s done in moderation and can go well with a healthy diet. One advantage of allowing snack food in schools is that if adolescent does not bring a lunch carrier then he or she does not have to stay hungry and can simply have something to satisfy their appetite (Borkar