Vending Machines in Schools
Should vending machines be banned in schools?
Abbas Abdulrazak
MEL4601 Dr Wadsworth November 2, 2009 Obesity is a serious and growing problem among adolescents in the United States. “In 1999, 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States were overweight. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades” (“Fact Sheet”). A key cause for concern is that “overweight adolescents are at higher risk of medical conditions such as hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and sleep apnea. Also, overweight adolescents are more likely to be overweight as adults, and they are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. All-cause mortality is also higher among men who were obese during adolescence” (Forshee et al. 1121-135). The cause of increased overweight or obese adolescents is highly disputed. One hypothesis claims that the availability of foods high in sugar and fat in schools is to blame. “The school environment is recognized as having a powerful influence on students' eating behaviors. Ecological models of health behavior posit that such influence is multilevel and includes not only intrapersonal and social and cultural factors but physical factors as well” (Kubik et al. 1168-173). School environment is ever more important because children are spending more and more time in schools than they are with their parents. This has led people to question whether the present day school environment is having a negative impact on adolescent’s dietary behaviors. It is argued that school vending machines carry drinks and snacks that may not be the healthiest options for the youths. They also carry very limited-if any-healthy alternatives. A survey from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington-based consumer group, “found that the vending machines in middle and high schools are filled with candy, cookies, chips, soft drinks
Abbas Abdulrazak
MEL4601 Dr Wadsworth November 2, 2009 Obesity is a serious and growing problem among adolescents in the United States. “In 1999, 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States were overweight. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades” (“Fact Sheet”). A key cause for concern is that “overweight adolescents are at higher risk of medical conditions such as hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and sleep apnea. Also, overweight adolescents are more likely to be overweight as adults, and they are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. All-cause mortality is also higher among men who were obese during adolescence” (Forshee et al. 1121-135). The cause of increased overweight or obese adolescents is highly disputed. One hypothesis claims that the availability of foods high in sugar and fat in schools is to blame. “The school environment is recognized as having a powerful influence on students' eating behaviors. Ecological models of health behavior posit that such influence is multilevel and includes not only intrapersonal and social and cultural factors but physical factors as well” (Kubik et al. 1168-173). School environment is ever more important because children are spending more and more time in schools than they are with their parents. This has led people to question whether the present day school environment is having a negative impact on adolescent’s dietary behaviors. It is argued that school vending machines carry drinks and snacks that may not be the healthiest options for the youths. They also carry very limited-if any-healthy alternatives. A survey from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington-based consumer group, “found that the vending machines in middle and high schools are filled with candy, cookies, chips, soft drinks
Cited: "Fact Sheet - Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative." Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web. 24 Oct. 2009. . Forshee, Richard A., Maureen L. Storey, and Michael E. Ginevan. A Risk Analysis Model of the Relationship Between Beverage Consumption from School Vending Machines and Risk of Adolescent Overweight 25.5 (2005): 1121-135. Wiley InterScience. Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD, USA.; Exponent, Inc., Washington, DC, USA., 4 Oct. 2005. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. . Hellmich, Nanci. "School vending rated as junk." USA TODAY. 5 Nov. 2004. Web. 28 Oct. 2009. . "Is Eating Between Meals Healthy?" Agriculture Society. 18 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. . Johnston, Lloyd D., Jorge Delva, and Patrick O 'Malley. "Soft Drink Availability, Contracts, and Revenues in American Secondary Schools." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33.4 (2007): 209-25. ScienceDirect. 18 Sept. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. . Kubik, Martha Y., et al. "The Association of the School Food Environment With Dietary Behaviors of Young Adolescents." American Journal of Public Health 93.7 (2003): 1168-173. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 2 Nov. 2009 Lapine, Missy Chase. "How to Avoid Kids ' Blood Sugar "Spike and Crash." Canadianparents.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. . Suarez-Balcazar, Yolanda, LaDonna Redmond, Joanne Kouba, Maureen Hellwig, Rochelle Davis, Louise I. Martinez, and Lara Jones. "Introducing systems change in the schools: the case of school luncheons and vending machines." American Journal of Community Psychology 39.3-4 (2007): 335-45. SpringerLink. Springer Netherlands, 27 Apr. 2007. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. . Weicha, Jean L., Daniel Finkelstein, Philip J. Troped, Maren Fragala, and Karen E. Peterson. "School Vending Machine Use and Fast-Food Restaurant Use Are Associated with Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in Youth." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 106.10 (2006): 1624-30. MD Consult. July 2007. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. .