Category: Junk Food

When we were little kids, we use to love to play with soft toys, remote control cars, etc. But now when we grew up a little bit, we all love to eat fast food and junk food and now it’s a trend to eat junk food. All of us enjoy eating fast food as it is cooked really fast, tastier and cheaper, so why shouldn’t we eat it? Taste shouldn’t be the first priority, instead health should be the first priority. People always say this quote, “Health is wealth”, but sadly the quote is fading away and becoming obsolete.

Teenagers have been avoiding homemade food and have chosen the alternative of consuming junk food. Teenagers can be located near the vicinity of fast food industries such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and many more. In general, most teenagers are unaware of the impacts of consuming junk food. Consumption of junk food has the following negative impact.

Obesity has become somewhat of a household name when being associated with junk food. During consumption of junk food, fat gets acuminated inside of the body in surplus amounts causing obesity. When people are obese, they become vulnerable to diseases such as diabetes or even cancer. Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to use and store the amount of sugar present in our body. This is evident during consumption of soft drinks, as in soft drinks there is a higher amount of sugar present in it.

Teenagers are the main victims of heart failures as statistics suggest that they consume junk food the most. Heart failures occur when plaque is formed in arteries which demands heart to put in extra effort to pump blood on the downstream. There is a lack of blood returning to the heart on the upstream. So therefore, it causes two damages to heart – heart is fatigue as it pumps blood and it also make extra oxygen and the heart suffers the oxygen supply. Example: as donuts are junk food, if we consume them there is also a lot of chances of increasing the chances of heart diseases. Depression is also one of the main problems caused among teenagers after eating junk food. As a lot of hormonal changes occur among teenagers, which makes them likely to have mood swings and behavioral changes. Due to the lack of intake of the specific nutrients, this results in depression.

Regular consumption of junk food which include high amounts of sugar could changes the chemical activity of the brain and this makes the teenagers addicted towards it. Consumption of junk food also makes people more inactive.

Eating junk food can also cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract, because it reduces the fiber content in the body. There are two types of fibers: insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Both the fibers are beneficial and pass throughout body without even being digested. The role of insoluble fiber is to keep the intestine and colon functioning properly. There it regulates the bowel movements and increases the chance of increasing cancer as well. Reduction of fiber increases the probability of attaining cardiovascular diseases and cholesterol problems. Digestive health is also affected due to minimal fiber in the body. Problems like diverticular diseases, constipation and hemorrhoids are imminent due to it.

Edema diseases occur due to salt increase in the body. These diseases lead to swelling in knees or ankles or even feet. A common catchphrase we perceive everywhere is “no to fries and no to chips”. Ever wondered why? Chips and salt contain high amount of finely processed salt and secretion of enzymes that enhance your craving for food. Sodium potassium balance of the body and causes hypertension, due to the increase in the amount of bad fats and sodium from salt.

When the adults consume alcohol, it harms their liver, consumption of junk food also has the same impact. Studies suggest that people who consume junk food and don’t exercise, their liver showed changes in their liver enzymes within four weeks, subsequently increasing problems for their liver.

I conclude by saying that although junk food taste good and eating it once in a while is fine. But, eating fast food very frequently may result in some health problems which will affect is in a bad way such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and some of the problems I discussed. Mostly sugar and fat are the main food in which we suffer from some health problems. Therefore, I conclude by saying that “An Apple a day keeps a doctor away”.

Food is an integral component of a person’s life. It gives our bodies the necessary nutrients and energy to grow and develop health-wise. Therefore; healthy eating is very crucial in society. Every human being requires an adequate supply of nutrients to avoid health problems. To stay healthy, it is essential that every individual consumes meals that meet the threshold of a balanced diet. Today, a huge percentage of the world’s population has deviated from healthy eating. Children are the number one victims when it comes to poor eating habits. The truth is that it is an epidemic in schools because many children are at risk of suffering from chronic health complications as a result of unhealthy dietary practices. There is a substantial need to save the children from this monster before it ruins their lives. Both parents, educators, and government have a responsibility to ensure that children’s lives are safe. The solution is straightforward, let them disseminate healthy eating messages both at home and learning centers. If the government would have sticker regulations on unhealthy food in schools and parents would have a basic foundation of food healthiness and food labeling to benefit themselves and their children, then kids would eventually have healthier lifestyles.

Unfortunately, the consumption of the modern diet has numerous adverse consequences on human health. The bitter reality is that people have neglected the traditional foods that have adequate nutrients. Research by Kearney depicts that modernization and globalization remain major setbacks for the accomplishment of decent nutrition status. There are new dietary patterns that exist today as a result of the global food supply “throughout the world, major shifts in dietary patterns are occurring, even in the consumption of basic staples towards more diversified diets” (2793). Healthy agriculture is no longer in practice as people rely so much on chemicals to produce more foods which have negative implications for consumers’ health. Kearny explains that genetically modified foods have taken over organic food production. GMOs have become a major food source for many people. There are both GMO livestock and crops that have that are available for consumption. Organic food production has gone down because people believe that GMOs come with many potential benefits.

Modern diets have adversarial impacts on people’s lifespans. A high percentage of food individuals consume nowadays is unable to safeguard them against nutritional deficiencies. An excellent example of these types of food is junk food which is consumed heavily in every part of the world. Junk food is a high-calorie food but with no micronutrients. Any food that lacks carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients cannot support the body to stay healthy. Anything that has no nutritional value to our body is not essential and should be avoided at all costs; however, studies show that junk foods are eaten regularly by all groups of people (Shridhar et al 438). According to Shridhar et al, the current generation is a lover of junk food “a junk food which the present generation has adapted as modern diet” (430). Human beings love junk food because it can be accessed easily which aids them from the burden of cooking.

People value modern diets because of several reasons. These foods appear nicely on the dishes something that attracts many customers. Nevertheless, people forget the fact that eateries make use of harmful food additives to make them appealing. More so, some use food colors to enhance flavor and some chemicals to stay for a longer period. Let people know that different food diets are affecting their health in a detrimental way. There is no way you can dwell on consuming junk food and expect to live a longer life. Life expectancy has gone down because of various patterns of diseases. The shift from traditional food to a modern diet is a primary cause of nutrition-related cardiometabolic complications (Popkin et al. 17). Diseases such as cancer, and being overweight are on the increase because of shifts in how people eat today. The only means to prevent these problems from occurring in the future is by educating parents across the globe on the importance of consuming healthier foods.

Parents have failed terribly when it comes to guiding their children on eating habits. It is heartbreaking that parents are at the forefront of encouraging young persons to consume unhealthy foods “mothers are a primary influence on their children’s diet and health (Johnson et al. 220). Every parent wants the best for her child; therefore; they should influence proper eating behaviors. Children need guidance on how to eat well and avoid foods that are hazardous to health. Parents have reasons why they do not restrict their young ones from consuming unhealthy foods. A majority of parents believe that their children have an appetite for healthy foods; hence, they end up serving them what they like most and which is junk food. Parents have become overprotective which has contributed to children’s poor eating habits. Overprotective parents allow children to eat their favorites because they do not want to engage in fights with them. They like making their children happy at the expense of their health.

As a parent keeping unhealthy food out of your home is a crucial decision. It is a parent’s responsibility to watch and restrict a child from eating meals that have zero nutritional value. According to a study by van der Horst, and Sleddens, parents influence their kids’ eating habits “the development of healthy eating behavior in toddlers is often of concern to parents” (2). A parent should interact with his or her child in all food-related situations to control what they eat at all times. Parents need to be stricter when it comes to enforcing certain eating practices. However, some parents lack knowledge of healthy foods. The government should come in handy to educate parents on the best eating practices. There are many food and dietetics professionals that can be employed by the government to carry out civic education. Through this procedure, parents will learn the recipes, guidelines, initiatives, and practices of healthy eating (Hart et al. 12).

Children and fast foods are inseparable. It is not easy to restrict children from consuming junk food. Parents often plead with their young ones to avoid buying fast food but it falls on deaf ears. Ipatenco explains things that attract children to love fast food. According to her, corporations that deal with fast food use enormous marketing strategies that make children go for junk food and not home-prepared food. An advertisement is a powerful tool that firms utilize to entice children to go crying for fast food. Secondly, children emulate their parents’ eating habits. Presently, parents come home with processed foods and serve them to their children. From that point, children learn that fast food is the best way to go. Many kids will prefer fast food over vegetables. This is so because, unlike junk foods, vegetables are not attractive and sweet. Children love sweet and appealing things; hence, they dislike vegetables on many occasions.

School nutrition is a fundamental part of children’s academic journey. No one can doubt the fact that healthier students excel well. Schools should serve children nutritious meals and drinks. It is very critical to educate a kindergarten child that eating well is vital. The such kid will grow up knowing what eating healthy means and it will be easy to avoid junk foods that are of less value. Regrettably, many learning centers subject students to processed foods. Datar and Nicosia put forward that the availability of processed foods in American schools is alarming. A corporation making processed food targets schools knowing that students love that kind of food. In the end, school managers end up having no choice other than to provide fast food to their students (335).

It shocks me to learn that school-going children are remarkably unhealthy consumers. Processed food in schools is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity “junk food availability in schools has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic” (Datar & Nicosia 312). Research carried out by the CDC established that more than seventy percent of schools possess vending machines. It also found that most schools have snack bars that feed their student’s high-fat foods which are not good for their health (Senauer 11). They have created a culture where students think eating cheeseburgers for lunch is the best alternative.

The burden associated with obesity among school-going children is enough to justify that the government is not doing enough to remedy the overall situation. If only the government had effective policies and regulations on healthy eating people would not be lamenting the social cost of food-related deficiencies. Due to government laxity, about one hundred and twelve thousand people die yearly due to obesity. These are the substantial rationale for the government to swing into action and save the future lives of children in schools. There are at least ninety-five percent of the country’s kids enrolled in different schools, and they spend half of their days in school (McKinney 1). Therefore; the government should come up with appropriate means of ensuring that foods served in schools are healthy and of great nutritional significance.

Several schools in the United States of America suffer from a lack of expertise and knowledge in interpreting food label information. Nevertheless; it is not their fault but of the government because labeling food products is under the control of the Food and Drug Administration. FDA has been mandated by the government to regulate the nutrition information required on various food packages. More importantly, the government should work through the FDA to offer education on various elements of food labeling information. This effort will enable school managers to read and make use of the label on various foods before serving them to learners. Saha et al. explain that promoting the use of food label information in schools is essential because it helps schools to make proper purchasing decisions (777). Let both students and educators have the competency to access and read the nutritional data on various labels. In a nutshell, healthy foods are the ingredients of healthy living. Parents should train their children to avoid foods mostly fast foods because they are harmful. Junk foods are tempting; however, people should avoid them to evade lifestyle diseases. The research has shown that the government has a crucial responsibility of ensuring that schoolchildren have a healthier lifestyle.

Works Cited

1. Datar, Ashlesha, and Nancy Nicosia. ‘Junk Food In Schools And Childhood Obesity’. Journal Of Policy Analysis And Management, vol 31, no. 2, 2012, pp. 312-337. Wiley, doi:10.1002/pam.21602. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
2. Hart, Laura M. et al. ‘What Parents Know And Want To Learn About Healthy Eating And Body Image In Preschool Children: A Triangulated Qualitative Study With Parents And Early Childhood Professionals’. BMC Public Health, vol 15, no. 1, 2015. Springer Nature, doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1865-4. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
3. Ipatenco, Sara. ‘What Attracts Kids To Fast Food?’. Healthyeating.Sfgate.Com, 2019, https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/attracts-kids-fast-food-1589.html.
4. Johnson, Cassandra M. et al. ‘It’s Who I Am And What We Eat. Mothers’ Food-Related Identities In Family Food Choice’. Appetite, vol 57, no. 1, 2011, pp. 220-228. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.04.025. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
5. Kearney, John. ‘Food Consumption Trends And Drivers’. Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol 365, no. 1554, 2010, pp. 2793-2807. The Royal Society, doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0149. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
6. McKinney, Tyra. ‘Putting Local School Wellness Policies Into Action’. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, 2014, https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/pdf/SchoolWellnessInAction.pdf. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
7. Popkin, Barry M et al. ‘Global Nutrition Transition And The Pandemic Of Obesity In Developing Countries. Nutrition Reviews, vol 70, no. 1, 2012, pp. 3-21. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00456.x. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
8. Saha, Snehasree, et al. ‘Knowledge And Practices Of Using Food Label Information Among Adolescents Attending Schools In Kolkata, India’. Journal Of Nutrition Education And Behavior, vol 45, no. 6, 2013, pp. 773-779. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.07.011. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
9. Shridhar et al. ‘Modern Diet And Its Impact On Human Health’. Journal Of Nutrition & Food Sciences, vol 05, no. 06, 2015. OMICS Publishing Group, doi:10.4172/2155 9600.1000430. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
10. Senauer, Benjamin. ‘THE OBESITY CRISIS: CHALLENGE TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY’. The Food Industry Center, 2003, https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/14309/1/tr03-04.pdf. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
11. Van der Horst, Klazine, and Ester F. C. Sleddens. ‘Parenting Styles, Feeding Styles And Food Related Parenting Practices In Relation To Toddlers’ Eating Styles: A Cluster-Analytic Approach’. PLOS ONE, vol 12, no. 5, 2017, p. e0178149. Public Library Of Science (Plos), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178149. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.

Since schools were first acquainted with junk food, students have started to purchase and consume unhealthy foods uncontrollably. Junk food is any food which is perceived to be unhealthy and of low nutritional value. Junk food can also cause health problems, obesity, allergies, and school lunches at schools are also a major reason for why most kids eat junk food in the first place. As a way to overcome these problems, convenience food in schools should be banned.

Consuming junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people. According to an article from Cardiosmart, “It’s estimated that the number of McDonald’s outlets increased by 20% globally in the past decade. Experts worry about the impact of increased fast-food consumption on heart health. In total, 2.5% of participants were diagnosed with heart disease, stroke or heart failure during the one-year study. After analysis, researchers found that individuals living within roughly a half-mile from a fast-food restaurant were significantly more likely to develop heart disease than those living further away”. This shows that many people who eat fast food may soon be diagnosed with a variety of medical problems. Since eating junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people it would be even worse if they were allowed into schools. Processed foods can also impact many people in some ways that may be more harmful than others. The article, ‘10 Reasons Schools Should Ban Junk Food’ states, “When you provide plant-based foods and proteins, it is much easier to determine what is in the food. Processed foods contain a lot of additives. Some of these are chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes. Allergies, especially nut allergies, have been on the rise in recent years. Scientists are unclear why this increase in allergic reactions have taken place. Schools often issue allergy questionnaires to parents when kids are planning to eat meals at school. It is often difficult to discern what is safe for kids with allergies, due to the many ingredients in junk food. A packaged cookie or chip may contain traces of nuts”. This evidence proves that since prepackaged foods contain many ingredients it is problematic to differentiate what elements are healthy for kids with allergies. It is also sometimes hard to figure out what is safe for kids with allergies due to the many ingredients in junk food. If junk foods were allowed in schools, then many students would be at risk of consuming chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes and also enduring allergic reactions.

In addition, obesity is also a major problem that is caused by the amount of convenience food consumed most of the people in the world. According to an article from scholastic, “America is facing a crisis because of our eating habits. Sixty million adults (20 percent of the population) are obese. Nearly 300,000 people die each year from complications associated with being obese or overweight”. This proves that poor eating habits developed at an early age have real health consequences throughout life. School is where children spend most of their time, and it is where people should lay the foundation for healthy habits by banning junk food. School lunches that are provided to students are also a major reason why students consider junk food over healthy food. The quality and proportions do not last kids throughout the day, so they eat junk food to sustain themselves. According to a New York Times article, “Consider that in France, where the childhood obesity rate is the lowest in the Western world, a typical four-course school lunch (cucumber salad with vinaigrette, salmon lasagna with spinach, fondue with baguette for dipping and fruit compote for dessert) would probably not pass muster under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, because of the refined grains, fat, salt and calories. Nor would the weekly piece of dark chocolate cake. By comparison, a typical federally approved school lunch in the United States is a ‘reformulated’ Philly cheesesteak sandwich (low-fat, low-salt processed cheese and lean mystery meat on a whole grain bun) with steamed green beans, a potato wedge, canned peaches, and an apple. Students often have less than 20 minutes to eat this before returning to class, while French children may have as long as two hours to eat and socialize. Not surprisingly, American kids, whether pressed for time or just grossed out, leave much of their meals untouched; particularly neglected are the fruits and vegetables, which they are now forced to put on their trays before they can exit the cafeteria line”. This shows that because schools don’t give enough food and time to students to last them throughout the day, kids have to depend on junk food to sustain their hunger.

In conclusion, schools should ban junk food. This is evident through the numerous studies and statistics that provide information about how junk food is harmful to people and why kids eat it in the first place. Therefore, we can conclude that junk food should be banned in schools.

Food is an integral component of a person’s life. It gives our bodies the necessary nutrients and energy to grow and develop health-wise. Therefore; healthy eating is very crucial in society. Every human being requires an adequate supply of nutrients to avoid health problems. To stay healthy, it is essential that every individual consumes meals that meet the threshold of a balanced diet. Today, a huge percentage of the world’s population has deviated from healthy eating. Children are the number one victims when it comes to poor eating habits. The truth is that it is an epidemic in schools because many children are at risk of suffering from chronic health complications as a result of unhealthy dietary practices. There is a substantial need to save the children from this monster before it ruins their lives. Both parents, educators, and government have a responsibility to ensure that children’s lives are safe. The solution is straightforward, let them disseminate healthy eating messages both at home and learning centers. If the government would have sticker regulations on unhealthy food in schools and parents would have a basic foundation of food healthiness and food labeling to benefit themselves and their children, then kids would eventually have healthier lifestyles.

Unfortunately, the consumption of the modern diet has numerous adverse consequences on human health. The bitter reality is that people have neglected the traditional foods that have adequate nutrients. Research by Kearney depicts that modernization and globalization remain major setbacks for the accomplishment of decent nutrition status. There are new dietary patterns that exist today as a result of the global food supply “throughout the world, major shifts in dietary patterns are occurring, even in the consumption of basic staples towards more diversified diets” (2793). Healthy agriculture is no longer in practice as people rely so much on chemicals to produce more foods which have negative implications for consumers’ health. Kearny explains that genetically modified foods have taken over organic food production. GMOs have become a major food source for many people. There are both GMO livestock and crops that have that are available for consumption. Organic food production has gone down because people believe that GMOs come with many potential benefits.

Modern diets have adversarial impacts on people’s lifespans. A high percentage of food individuals consume nowadays is unable to safeguard them against nutritional deficiencies. An excellent example of these types of food is junk food which is consumed heavily in every part of the world. Junk food is a high-calorie food but with no micronutrients. Any food that lacks carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients cannot support the body to stay healthy. Anything that has no nutritional value to our body is not essential and should be avoided at all costs; however, studies show that junk foods are eaten regularly by all groups of people (Shridhar et al 438). According to Shridhar et al, the current generation is a lover of junk food “a junk food which the present generation has adapted as modern diet” (430). Human beings love junk food because it can be accessed easily which aids them from the burden of cooking.

People value modern diets because of several reasons. These foods appear nicely on the dishes something that attracts many customers. Nevertheless, people forget the fact that eateries make use of harmful food additives to make them appealing. More so, some use food colors to enhance flavor and some chemicals to stay for a longer period. Let people know that different food diets are affecting their health in a detrimental way. There is no way you can dwell on consuming junk food and expect to live a longer life. Life expectancy has gone down because of various patterns of diseases. The shift from traditional food to a modern diet is a primary cause of nutrition-related cardiometabolic complications (Popkin et al. 17). Diseases such as cancer, and being overweight are on the increase because of shifts in how people eat today. The only means to prevent these problems from occurring in the future is by educating parents across the globe on the importance of consuming healthier foods.

Parents have failed terribly when it comes to guiding their children on eating habits. It is heartbreaking that parents are at the forefront of encouraging young persons to consume unhealthy foods “mothers are a primary influence on their children’s diet and health (Johnson et al. 220). Every parent wants the best for her child; therefore; they should influence proper eating behaviors. Children need guidance on how to eat well and avoid foods that are hazardous to health. Parents have reasons why they do not restrict their young ones from consuming unhealthy foods. A majority of parents believe that their children have an appetite for healthy foods; hence, they end up serving them what they like most and which is junk food. Parents have become overprotective which has contributed to children’s poor eating habits. Overprotective parents allow children to eat their favorites because they do not want to engage in fights with them. They like making their children happy at the expense of their health.

As a parent keeping unhealthy food out of your home is a crucial decision. It is a parent’s responsibility to watch and restrict a child from eating meals that have zero nutritional value. According to a study by van der Horst, and Sleddens, parents influence their kids’ eating habits “the development of healthy eating behavior in toddlers is often of concern to parents” (2). A parent should interact with his or her child in all food-related situations to control what they eat at all times. Parents need to be stricter when it comes to enforcing certain eating practices. However, some parents lack knowledge of healthy foods. The government should come in handy to educate parents on the best eating practices. There are many food and dietetics professionals that can be employed by the government to carry out civic education. Through this procedure, parents will learn the recipes, guidelines, initiatives, and practices of healthy eating (Hart et al. 12).

Children and fast foods are inseparable. It is not easy to restrict children from consuming junk food. Parents often plead with their young ones to avoid buying fast food but it falls on deaf ears. Ipatenco explains things that attract children to love fast food. According to her, corporations that deal with fast food use enormous marketing strategies that make children go for junk food and not home-prepared food. An advertisement is a powerful tool that firms utilize to entice children to go crying for fast food. Secondly, children emulate their parents’ eating habits. Presently, parents come home with processed foods and serve them to their children. From that point, children learn that fast food is the best way to go. Many kids will prefer fast food over vegetables. This is so because, unlike junk foods, vegetables are not attractive and sweet. Children love sweet and appealing things; hence, they dislike vegetables on many occasions.

School nutrition is a fundamental part of children’s academic journey. No one can doubt the fact that healthier students excel well. Schools should serve children nutritious meals and drinks. It is very critical to educate a kindergarten child that eating well is vital. The such kid will grow up knowing what eating healthy means and it will be easy to avoid junk foods that are of less value. Regrettably, many learning centers subject students to processed foods. Datar and Nicosia put forward that the availability of processed foods in American schools is alarming. A corporation making processed food targets schools knowing that students love that kind of food. In the end, school managers end up having no choice other than to provide fast food to their students (335).

It shocks me to learn that school-going children are remarkably unhealthy consumers. Processed food in schools is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity “junk food availability in schools has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic” (Datar & Nicosia 312). Research carried out by the CDC established that more than seventy percent of schools possess vending machines. It also found that most schools have snack bars that feed their student’s high-fat foods which are not good for their health (Senauer 11). They have created a culture where students think eating cheeseburgers for lunch is the best alternative.

The burden associated with obesity among school-going children is enough to justify that the government is not doing enough to remedy the overall situation. If only the government had effective policies and regulations on healthy eating people would not be lamenting the social cost of food-related deficiencies. Due to government laxity, about one hundred and twelve thousand people die yearly due to obesity. These are the substantial rationale for the government to swing into action and save the future lives of children in schools. There are at least ninety-five percent of the country’s kids enrolled in different schools, and they spend half of their days in school (McKinney 1). Therefore; the government should come up with appropriate means of ensuring that foods served in schools are healthy and of great nutritional significance.

Several schools in the United States of America suffer from a lack of expertise and knowledge in interpreting food label information. Nevertheless; it is not their fault but of the government because labeling food products is under the control of the Food and Drug Administration. FDA has been mandated by the government to regulate the nutrition information required on various food packages. More importantly, the government should work through the FDA to offer education on various elements of food labeling information. This effort will enable school managers to read and make use of the label on various foods before serving them to learners. Saha et al. explain that promoting the use of food label information in schools is essential because it helps schools to make proper purchasing decisions (777). Let both students and educators have the competency to access and read the nutritional data on various labels. In a nutshell, healthy foods are the ingredients of healthy living. Parents should train their children to avoid foods mostly fast foods because they are harmful. Junk foods are tempting; however, people should avoid them to evade lifestyle diseases. The research has shown that the government has a crucial responsibility of ensuring that schoolchildren have a healthier lifestyle.

Works Cited

1. Datar, Ashlesha, and Nancy Nicosia. ‘Junk Food In Schools And Childhood Obesity’. Journal Of Policy Analysis And Management, vol 31, no. 2, 2012, pp. 312-337. Wiley, doi:10.1002/pam.21602. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
2. Hart, Laura M. et al. ‘What Parents Know And Want To Learn About Healthy Eating And Body Image In Preschool Children: A Triangulated Qualitative Study With Parents And Early Childhood Professionals’. BMC Public Health, vol 15, no. 1, 2015. Springer Nature, doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1865-4. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
3. Ipatenco, Sara. ‘What Attracts Kids To Fast Food?’. Healthyeating.Sfgate.Com, 2019, https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/attracts-kids-fast-food-1589.html.
4. Johnson, Cassandra M. et al. ‘It’s Who I Am And What We Eat. Mothers’ Food-Related Identities In Family Food Choice’. Appetite, vol 57, no. 1, 2011, pp. 220-228. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.04.025. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
5. Kearney, John. ‘Food Consumption Trends And Drivers’. Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol 365, no. 1554, 2010, pp. 2793-2807. The Royal Society, doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0149. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
6. McKinney, Tyra. ‘Putting Local School Wellness Policies Into Action’. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, 2014, https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/pdf/SchoolWellnessInAction.pdf. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
7. Popkin, Barry M et al. ‘Global Nutrition Transition And The Pandemic Of Obesity In Developing Countries. Nutrition Reviews, vol 70, no. 1, 2012, pp. 3-21. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00456.x. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
8. Saha, Snehasree, et al. ‘Knowledge And Practices Of Using Food Label Information Among Adolescents Attending Schools In Kolkata, India’. Journal Of Nutrition Education And Behavior, vol 45, no. 6, 2013, pp. 773-779. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.07.011. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
9. Shridhar et al. ‘Modern Diet And Its Impact On Human Health’. Journal Of Nutrition & Food Sciences, vol 05, no. 06, 2015. OMICS Publishing Group, doi:10.4172/2155 9600.1000430. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
10. Senauer, Benjamin. ‘THE OBESITY CRISIS: CHALLENGE TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY’. The Food Industry Center, 2003, https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/14309/1/tr03-04.pdf. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.
11. Van der Horst, Klazine, and Ester F. C. Sleddens. ‘Parenting Styles, Feeding Styles And Food Related Parenting Practices In Relation To Toddlers’ Eating Styles: A Cluster-Analytic Approach’. PLOS ONE, vol 12, no. 5, 2017, p. e0178149. Public Library Of Science (Plos), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178149. Accessed 11 Feb 2019.

Since schools were first acquainted with junk food, students have started to purchase and consume unhealthy foods uncontrollably. Junk food is any food which is perceived to be unhealthy and of low nutritional value. Junk food can also cause health problems, obesity, allergies, and school lunches at schools are also a major reason for why most kids eat junk food in the first place. As a way to overcome these problems, convenience food in schools should be banned.

Consuming junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people. According to an article from Cardiosmart, “It’s estimated that the number of McDonald’s outlets increased by 20% globally in the past decade. Experts worry about the impact of increased fast-food consumption on heart health. In total, 2.5% of participants were diagnosed with heart disease, stroke or heart failure during the one-year study. After analysis, researchers found that individuals living within roughly a half-mile from a fast-food restaurant were significantly more likely to develop heart disease than those living further away”. This shows that many people who eat fast food may soon be diagnosed with a variety of medical problems. Since eating junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people it would be even worse if they were allowed into schools. Processed foods can also impact many people in some ways that may be more harmful than others. The article, ‘10 Reasons Schools Should Ban Junk Food’ states, “When you provide plant-based foods and proteins, it is much easier to determine what is in the food. Processed foods contain a lot of additives. Some of these are chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes. Allergies, especially nut allergies, have been on the rise in recent years. Scientists are unclear why this increase in allergic reactions have taken place. Schools often issue allergy questionnaires to parents when kids are planning to eat meals at school. It is often difficult to discern what is safe for kids with allergies, due to the many ingredients in junk food. A packaged cookie or chip may contain traces of nuts”. This evidence proves that since prepackaged foods contain many ingredients it is problematic to differentiate what elements are healthy for kids with allergies. It is also sometimes hard to figure out what is safe for kids with allergies due to the many ingredients in junk food. If junk foods were allowed in schools, then many students would be at risk of consuming chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes and also enduring allergic reactions.

In addition, obesity is also a major problem that is caused by the amount of convenience food consumed most of the people in the world. According to an article from scholastic, “America is facing a crisis because of our eating habits. Sixty million adults (20 percent of the population) are obese. Nearly 300,000 people die each year from complications associated with being obese or overweight”. This proves that poor eating habits developed at an early age have real health consequences throughout life. School is where children spend most of their time, and it is where people should lay the foundation for healthy habits by banning junk food. School lunches that are provided to students are also a major reason why students consider junk food over healthy food. The quality and proportions do not last kids throughout the day, so they eat junk food to sustain themselves. According to a New York Times article, “Consider that in France, where the childhood obesity rate is the lowest in the Western world, a typical four-course school lunch (cucumber salad with vinaigrette, salmon lasagna with spinach, fondue with baguette for dipping and fruit compote for dessert) would probably not pass muster under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, because of the refined grains, fat, salt and calories. Nor would the weekly piece of dark chocolate cake. By comparison, a typical federally approved school lunch in the United States is a ‘reformulated’ Philly cheesesteak sandwich (low-fat, low-salt processed cheese and lean mystery meat on a whole grain bun) with steamed green beans, a potato wedge, canned peaches, and an apple. Students often have less than 20 minutes to eat this before returning to class, while French children may have as long as two hours to eat and socialize. Not surprisingly, American kids, whether pressed for time or just grossed out, leave much of their meals untouched; particularly neglected are the fruits and vegetables, which they are now forced to put on their trays before they can exit the cafeteria line”. This shows that because schools don’t give enough food and time to students to last them throughout the day, kids have to depend on junk food to sustain their hunger.

In conclusion, schools should ban junk food. This is evident through the numerous studies and statistics that provide information about how junk food is harmful to people and why kids eat it in the first place. Therefore, we can conclude that junk food should be banned in schools.