Colby Hanning
Twitter Editor |
September 30, 2016
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Reggie Lyle
Writer |
September 30, 2016
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Keep School Food Healthy
School foods directly affect students health, learning, and lifetime wellness. For years unhealthy foods have been served and sold in schools nation wide, but recently that has changed. A healthier food plan has been put into effect at all schools. In my opinion, unhealthy junk foods should not be available on school grounds. More than one-third of children are considered to be overweight or obese. This means that every one in six adolescents are overweight. Childhood obesity raises the possibility of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high
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Sophomore Colby Hanning scolds senior Maria Wario for eating junk food at school, while sophomore Reggie Lyle cheers her on. Photo by Sidney Pelton
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Let Students Decide what to Eat
Over the course of five years, Buhach
Colony has gradually began to stop selling certain foods due to health standards. Several Students have disagreed with the change of food and are upset that the government has began to decide what students must eat on campus. As a teenager in High School, I feel that it is not the government's place to decide what students can and can not eat. Students are aware of what they consume and understand the health risks of consuming unhealthy foods. Students still continue to eat how ever they please |
cholesterol. School districts can not affect how their students eat outside of school or change what students bring to school, but by serving and selling only healthy, nutritious foods the school administration can work to better their student’s health, ability to learn, and lifetime wellness.
Serving and selling students only healthy, nutritious foods during school will help provide them with the proper eating habits. These habits will be built in school and continue after school hours and even after many students graduate. Of course many students will be resistant to trying new healthier foods, but eventually they will come to enjoy a nutritious diet. Students will feel healthier, happier and do better in school. Eating a nutritious diet will lead to an increase in focus and attention, higher test scores, and better school behavior. My adversary will make the argument that the government has become paternalistic by forcing the way children are eating. Many believe that it should be the student's choice to eat what they desire, but I believe that we should strive to increase the healthiness of our Nation’s adolescents. He will also say that by selling junk food on school grounds the school can receive a higher profit, but do we really want to sell our soul to the devil, the obesity in america, to make more money. I believe that all school systems should begin slowly changing their food plans to be completely healthy as soon as possible. If you ease the students into a healthier lifestyle, they are more likely to accept it. Although many believe that it should be the student's choice to eat what they desire, I believe that we should strive to increase the healthiness of our Nation’s adolescents. |
outside of school and even bring food to school. Some who have an off-campus pass drive to fast food and get even unhealthier food. The government should make the assumption that all junk food is bad. For
instance, salt and sugar are a vital part of one’s health. Some blame junk food for obesity, but there are other factors that tie into poor health such as lack of exercise. Junk foods are unhealthy when eaten excessively and most students have common sense not to eat an abundance of it. In the past, Buhach sold soda in soda machines. Then they were forced to stop selling soda which stopped students from spending money and putting money into the system. The government has become very paternalistic in more ways than one. The smoking age has been raised to 21, you must wear a seatbelt when in a car, and you are required to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Students should be allowed to decide what to consume. With snack foods being sold, BCHS has received $20-23,000 more in revenue. The money doesn't stop there, BCHS was getting a $10-16,000 kick back per year from their soda supplier with an even larger amount of money from food, drink, and snack sales. Since Buhach has stopped selling these foods, they have lost a large portion of money that would regularly come in. Junior, Mara Duran, was questioned about how she felt towards the government stopping schools from selling certain foods. She stated, “It’s our diet. Why does the school care if we’re unhealthy? That’s up to us and our parents. The School has no right to interfere with what we eat. Besides, the kids love junk food. The school can make money off of that.” BCHS students feel that the government should not make the decision of what they may consume. If students want to eat chips, candy, and other foods then let them. |