Obesity And School Lunch Program - 997 Words

Childhood obesity is one of the nation’s public health main challenge: About one third of children and adolescents (ages 6 to 19) are determined as overweight or obese, and more than one in six that group are determined to be obese in United States. As most people do not understand the difference between overweight and obesity, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases identifies this disparity—overweight refers to an excess amount of body weight that may come from muscles, bone, fat, and water while obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat. A 2010 study of 1003 southeastern Michigan sixth-grade students astonishingly revealed that those who ate school lunches had more 29 percent probability to be obese than those who ate their own home-made lunches. From that research, we can foresee the relation between obesity and school lunch program(approaches) as school lunch program usually offers low-nutritious food for its cheaper price. Therefo re, in my paper, I would like to argue about the current American school lunch approaches which indirectly cause the childhood obesity should be re-evaluated through the comparison of school lunch systems between US and Japan, which has one of the lowest obesity rate in the world. Firstly, we should understand the initiation of school lunch programs in Japan and US and further analyze the approaches taken by each of them. Japan school lunch approaches works effectively and efficiently that stand onShow MoreRelatedPreventing Childhood Obesity And The National School Lunch Program865 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the SNDA, only 35% of schools meet with the SMI recommended calories. However, the NSLP instead of recognizing that schools are not meeting with the recommended intake because of its overconsumption of commodities, they blame the students and the schools for the lack of healthful practices. For example, Allen and Guttmann (2002) in Neoliberalization from the ground up states how the introduction of the wellness policy under the NSLP recognizes that schools are faulty for nutritional goalsRead MoreThe recent changes in the school lunch and program Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesthe breakfast and lunch programs in the schools have significant impact on the nutritional status of children and in fighting obesity which is a national problem. State and federal governments have issued laws and regulations to minimize the problem. This paper summarizes the major issues and concerns on economic situation and health. It also presents the process and benefits of the program. Economic Situation One of the issues related with the recent change in school lunch and breakfast is theRead MoreThe Effects Of Obesity On The Body Height Of Children And Adolescents Essay1518 Words   |  7 Pageschildren and adolescents leading to an obesity epidemic. According to Up-to-Date, body mass index (BMI) is defined as the standard measure of obesity in individuals. It is the body height in kilograms divided by the body height in meters squared (Skeleton, 2016). Child obesity is based on a standardized growth scale and is defined as a body mass index (BMI) that surpasses the 95th percentile of a fixed distribution for a child’s age and gender. For elementary school age students, the cutoff is aroundRead MoreShould School Lunches Be Banned?1565 Words   |  7 PagesA child spends the majority of their childhood in a school. In schools, students acquire the academic knowledge and life skills that they need to carry out a successful life—ranging from learning basic math to how to tie their shoes. Another big part of school is the lunch hour. Lunch is a period in which students can get a break from classes, socialize, and refuel their minds to tackle the rest of the day. But school lunches have been known for being unhealthy and bad for students to consumeRead MoreThe School Lunch Program Is Essential For The Health And Wellbeing Of The Nation s Children1585 Words   |  7 PagesIn the school lunch policy market and non-market failure apply. I have chosen the school lunch system because it stems into the obesity epidemic. Obesity is a huge part of our society, and the school lunch system plays a part in it. The purpose of the national school lunch program is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the nation’s children. The school lunch program was declared in 1946 by congress in the national school lunch act. The school lunch program makes it possible for schools to serveRead MorePreventing Obesity among School Children through Healthier School Meals1323 Words   |  5 PagesPreventing Obesity Among School Children through Healthier School Meals Obesity and overweight are among the pressing health problems among children and adolescents in the developed world. Obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat whereas overweight can be measured by the BMI index or height-weight ratio. According to the WHO (2012), obesity and overweight are the fifth largest risk for global deaths. Introduction Obesity and overweight among children and adolescents has increasedRead MoreThe Child Obesity Epidemic in America1089 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood obesity is a major cause for concern within the United States. This is mainly due to children not getting the require nutrition that they need. Although study show that there is a decrease in obesity in children, it still remains at an all-time high. Children are failing to eat as healthy as they should, and it has become an even bigger problem now that they aren’t getting the require amount of food in their diets. The USDA made a decision a couple of years ago to reduce the amount of foodRead MoreThe Responsibility For Childhood Nutrition1001 Words   |  5 Pagesdecide their diet; however several programs were implemented to face one of the most important consequences of malnutrition, childhood obesity. Obesity and overweight are caused by energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Children are eating more and more energy-dense food that is high in fat, and also children are reducing their activities and become more sedentary (WHO, 2015). According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has doubled since 1980. In 2013,Read MoreChildhood Obesity : A Serious Problem1221 Words   |  5 PagesObesity is not only found amongst children, it is also found in pre-teen to teenage years as well. Childhood years are the most important period of a kids life, were they learn behavior and mold into the adult they will become. Starting bad eating habits early in the childhood years sets them up for more complications later in their lives. One out of three children in the U.S are obese, which most of them will end up facing a greater risk of having medical, social, emotional problems some even endRead MoreGovernment, Schools, and Companies Must Fight Childhood Obesity856 Words   |  4 Pages Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in America. Many children in America, get two out of the three meals at school. As stated in the article, School Meals Need to Get Healthier: Report published in Healthday, â€Å"About 30.6 million school children participated in the school lunch program in 2007, and 10.1 million children had school breakfasts. In 2007, schools in the program served about 5.1 billion lunches and 1.7 billion breakfasts† (Healthday). This staggering number directly relates to the