 School Lunches: Cleaning My Plate by Sarah Margaret ObesityHelp.com Support Services Associate
I was an obese child; actually I was a morbidly obese child. I remember a time when my siblings were teasing me about weighing 100lbs. At the time, I had no understanding of what 100lbs meant, I just knew it was a lot and I thought they were joking and being mean. Then when I was in the 2nd grade the school nurse called me out of class to weigh me. I weighed 124lbs at age seven. She then proceeded to tell me I was fat and different than the other kids in my class. She tried to counsel me on eating, but I was seven and I felt like a normal kid. I loved recess, and in order to be allowed out to recess we had to nearly clean our plate. So without a second thought, I ate what was provided and rushed outside to play. Looking back now, I realize that the very school system that told me I was fat and different, whom tried to advise me on eating, wasn't doing their part in the very lunch room that I was eating in. One good thing about school lunches when I was in elementary school was portion control; we did not have options for anything extra except milk. No vending machines, not additional snacks. So one would think I received a well- balanced lunch. I was the odd kid who preferred white milk over chocolate milk. I also liked vegetables. I remember my school had good green beans but we rarely had them. My biggest disappointment was the salad: one tiny scoop of iceberg lettuce soaking in neon orange dressing. Amazing that even something meant to be healthy was not. My recollection of lunches was hamburgers, pizza, and baked potato with chili and cheese. In middle school we had the option to buy extras. Little Debbie was my new BFF. High school, by far, was the worst. Of course we were older and could make our own "educated" decisions, which meant that I often had M&M’s (fundraiser) and a soda. The high school cafeteria did offer a very limited second choice for the lunch of the day. It usually consisted of a prepared salad. The biggest problem for those of us that wanted the salad was the limited quantity. It was first come - first serve and many students missed out on this healthier alternative.
Some might argue that parents who do not approve of what the school is serving should pack their kids lunch. However, it must be noted that many children are receiving free or reduced price lunches. In elementary and middle school, I received reduced price lunches. Forty cents a day was definitely less expensive than packing a lunch! Today schools also serve breakfast, snacks, milk and have summer programs for students who may not otherwise get daytime meals. Often times, participating children are eating two out of three of their meals in school. Childhood obesity is a public health issue and school lunches are at the center of curtailing the epidemic. School lunch programs have been in the news a lot in recent years. First Lady Michelle Obama has initiated the Let’s Move Campaign focusing on lunch programs and physical activity in schools. Chef Jamie Oliver tackled the school lunch program head-on in his television series Food Revolution. Jamie focused on Huntington, West Virginia which the CDC named the Nation’s Unhealthiest City of 2008. I grew up about an hour from Huntington, WV so I related to the families and students featured in the show. Jamie Oliver had quite a challenge before him. He met some resistance in the beginning but eventually the changes he implemented spread to other area schools and are now being considered as a model for changes nationally.
After watching a few episodes of Food Revolution I was upset by the "guidelines" for school lunch programs. In one episode Jamie was told his vegetable stir-fry did not have enough vegetables to meet the guidelines. The solution: serve it with French fries! According to the USDA guidelines French fries are a vegetable. You can take this quiz for a glimpse at what the USDA considers a junk food, it is shocking! Obesity has been and will be a life-long struggle for me. I have always vowed to not let my weight stop me from life’s accomplishments. The nurse in 2nd had good intentions, but singling me out and telling me I was different was not the solution. I was receiving mixed signals from the school. I might have been the only obese kid in 2nd grade but all kids could have benefitted from nutritional education and how to make healthy choices. While more prevalent in obese individuals, conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease can affect people of all shapes and sizes. There have also been links made between diet and behavior. Feeding kids junk for breakfast then expecting them to be calm enough to listen and learn in class is not reasonable. I believe the current USDA guidelines are not only contributing to increased childhood obesity, but also students’ behavior and learning outcomes. While some think the government should not get involved, the fact is the government is already involved and it is their guidelines that are contributing to the problem, so it is their responsibility to play a role in finding a solution. Some of Your Voices:
Cakes said, "Parents have a role to play, but there is something amiss in foods of today. When you see such a large population of overweight young people, it is not just a household issue. The government's role is research and oversight of the food industry; physical education, exercise programs, academics in early education and middle school."
Sonatasmom1 said, "It's difficult for parents to manage something in their child's life that they are not willing to manage in their own lives. Yet I am EXTREMELY reluctant to give more power to a government that is already out of control. " Psnow said, "I believe it is critical for society as a whole to work together to end childhood obesity. It starts at home, but extends to school lunches, and educational programs for all to help beat this disturbing trend. Many kids rely on the free lunch program to eat at school. Also they need to control access to unhealthy foods and beverages in the school." Hampsonbennett said, "If parents could do it alone, then you wouldn't see whole families of obese individuals." Yalg22 said, "The government can't even manage themselves. Politicians are neither health professionals, nor are they necessarily healthy themselves; they have no business in the field of child's health." Join the Conversation:
What was your school lunch-time like? Do you know if your school-district is serving healthy lunches? What are your thoughts about the involvement of parents/guardians, school, and government in keeping our children healthy? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. |
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