Junk Food
2 Reasons Junk Food Should Be Banned in Schools
And 2 reasons children should be allowed to eat whatever they want
Should junk food be banned in schools? I’ve just read that the UK faces a diabetes tipping point. Almost 1 in 10 people are expected to have the disease by 2030.
Let’s take a look at the arguments for and against.
Why junk food should NOT be banned in schools
They might just buy it elsewhere
If children can’t get junk food at school, they might just buy it elsewhere and bring it in. If so, this would mean it hadn’t solved the problem.
It gives the government too much control over people’s lives
If the government is allowed to control things like this, where will it lead? It could set the precedent for them having control over other aspects of people’s lives.
There comes a point where people just need to be able to make their own decisions. It’s up to the parents what they teach their children about healthy eating.
Why junk food SHOULD be banned in schools
Unhealthy eating causes more deaths than smoking
According to a study published in The Lancet in 2019, a “suboptimal diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risks globally, including tobacco smoking”.
In 2007, it became illegal to smoke in enclosed public spaces in the UK. In recent years, we can see that smoking has since been steadily in decline. So, it seems that if you make it more difficult for people to do something, there tends to be a decline in people doing it. So, if junk food is more difficult for children to get hold of, they will tend to eat less of it.
Healthy food is good for developing brains
Healthy eating is great for the brain. In fact, according to the CDC, “lack of adequate consumption of specific foods, such as fruits, vegetables, or dairy products, is associated with lower grades among students. Deficits of specific nutrients (i.e., vitamins A, B6, B12, C, folate, iron, zinc, and calcium) are associated with lower grades and higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness among students.”
Therefore, school is the one place where healthy eating should always be a priority.
We don’t need to ban it for adults
Once people are fully grown adults, they can have the freedom to make their own choices. But it’s important we give young people, who are still developing, the best chance of achieving their potential.
What else can be done?
Ban it from being sold near schools too
Only banning it in schools may not be enough. Children might buy junk food elsewhere. One solution might be to ban fast-food chains near schools.
Educate children about healthy nutrition
Merely banning unhealthy food is not enough. Children should be educated about the positive benefits of good nutrition and the bad effects of junk food.
When I was at school, we had police come in to give us a talk on the dangers of drugs, and that stuck with me. A similar approach with junk food could get through to at least some of the children.
Make healthy food cheaper or free
Who doesn’t like free stuff, right? If healthy food was free in schools, children might come to view it as the better option. According to the CDC, “student participation in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School Breakfast Program (SBP) is associated with increased academic grades and standardized test scores, reduced absenteeism, and improved cognitive performance.”
What do you think? Should junk food be banned in schools, or is it up to the parents to decide what their children should eat?
