Is a food ban in school the best answer?

By Robin P.

Two years ago,a neighboring town decided to ban cupcakes in school. The parents and faculty felt that birthday cupcakes were contributing to the obesity of students. Recently,another town has been trying to ban the sales of chocolate bars for fundraisers for the same reason. This made me think that they were missing the point.

When I was in elementary school, back in the 70s, there didn't seem to be many overweight kids. Everyone was just kind of average. Eating at McDonald's rarely happened in my family. My mom cooked a nutritious meal every week night even though she worked full-time. If we ate at a restaurant on the weekend, it was a sit-down meal with good food choices. I didn't start eating Whoppers and Big Macs until I was in high school and hanging out with my friends.

We all lead busy lives. A quick stop at Burger King helps to make our life easier as we race from one event to the next. Who has time to cook every night? Some restaurants have begun to offer healthier food choices but is it too late to change the habits that have already been formed?

What about exercise? After school,many kids like to play computer and video games or watch TV. I didn't have that option as a child. Computers and cable TV weren't invented. Once my homework was done, I went outside to play until dinner was ready.

Cupcakes and chocolate bars are not the culprits. Lack of education is the real enemy. Why aren't we teaching our kids how to eat sensibly and to exercise? Could it be that we're not setting a good example?

I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis and Diabetes seven months ago, so I have become a label reader. It can be very scary. When I find something that is fat-free or low fat, it is usually high in sugar.....and I mean high! There are so many "healthy" foods that are anything but healthy and we happily eat them and feed them to our children because we think we are doing the right thing.

Children should learn that no food has to be banned from their life if they learn to eat in moderation. It's all about portion control and good food choices. It should be something the whole family is involved in since staying healthy benefits everyone.

Do you think a food ban will cut down on obesity or do you believe that education is a better solution?

Robin P. lives with her husband and daughter in a suburb south of Boston.

Comments

[Chandra]

I am with you and agree that a lack of education in nutrition is to blame. BUT what's the point in having vending machines filled with empty calories?? I say remove the unnecessary evils but let the kids eat a cupcake in celebration then make them play outside. Why does a kid need to be on the computer all day?

[Erica]

What could be more important than a child's HEALTH (or an adult's, for that matter)? I'm for banning junk food in elementary schools simply because it's so *unnecessary*. Why offer junk when there's no reason to? I'm not against my kid eating a cupcake every now and then, but I am against daily access to sweets.

In our house, school is viewed as being the place that primarily provides socialization and daily routine, with some education thrown in. The latter is really OUR job. My main concern is that my child is healthy and safe at school, which is why the junk food issue strikes a real chord here....

[Rebel]

IMHO- Legislating behavior never works, and that goes with banning food. All it will do is create an "underground" business in junkfood much like Prohibition created bootlegging.
Kids are more crafty and clever than we think.

They banned sodas in schools here starting next year, but some enterprising kids are already making plans to capitalize on it.

I read about the "Fluffernutter" issue with Massachusetts lawmakers, and thought there should be more important things to work on.

[Jennifer]

Preach it, sister!

I can get frustrated with parents who blame everywhere but the homefront for the health of their children. I agree that vending machines in school are not the best option, especially elementary school. And I agree that schools should offer healthy food in addition to the chalupas and pizza. I want my kids to be able to eat healthy at school. But they also need to learn that life is about choices, and micro-managing their universe until they go to college is a guaranteed junk food explosion waiting to happen. When I grew up, my family let me have candy once a week, and we had no junk food in the house - no soda, chips, etc. But they weren't forbidden foods; I could occasionally eat them when we were out or for "fun" occasions like picnics. A friend of mine once said to his son, "The older you get the less I am able to shield you from the consequences of your actions." As our children grow, they need to have room to make choices and see those consequences. And they need a good education to be able to do so wisely! I, too, disagree with banning cupcakes. Perhaps on birthdays at school, the teacher can send a note home with the kids informing the parents that there was a cupcake that day; then parents would know to eliminate a dessert that night at dinner.

I don't know, but I know it has to start at home.

Jennifer

[Jill Asher]

This issue keeps coming up in my daughter's elementary and preschools. As much as I agree that choosing healthy foods is ideal, kids need to be kids... and a cupcake here and there is fine! Balance, balance, balance... and education is most important. My four and six year old know what foods have protien, what foods are loaded with sugar, what foods are healthy. They know McDonalds is "crap" - but every once in a while, it is FINE!

[Sabtrina]

Chances are, there's not even going to be one cupcake a day due to birthday celebrations, and as long as children are eating healthy meals at home, and relatively healthy ones at school, even one cupcake EVERY day shouldn't ruin their diet. Also, if we don't give our kids money to buy sodas and candy bars, they're not going to have the option.
Oh, and Erica, if cupcakes and other junk foods are one of your prime worries about sending your children to school, congratulations! You must live in a place with great educational opportunities.

[Erica]

I agree that education is very important, but I don't believe that elementary-aged children are old enough to be able to make food choice decisions on their own. If they're given the option of eating junk, they'll probbaly choose it, just because it's there. I'm all for junk food bans at schools! This is one of my prime worries about sending my kid to school when the time arrives...

[Rooth]

Basically, I agree that education is the key issue. I teach health to gr. 1-5 and we have the Canada Food Guide to offer them which tells them how much of each food group do they need per day for their age, but also allows for ocassional treats like cupcakes.

We did however ban the sale of chocolate bars since the kids and their families were clearly eating too much of these just so they didn't have to sell them which was not the purpose. There was also a safety issue of door-to-door selling so families felt they needd to buy many.

We have also banned coke and pepsi machines and have replaced them with Sports drinks and pure fruit juice machines...at least they get vitamin c from these. It just went against our fibre to encourage the drinking of sugar pop.

We still sell pizza which I guess is middle of the road. We do not sell KFC or Mcdonalds' any longer and I agree with that...they clearly have this far too often at home.

It is nice once in awhile for a parent to share cupcakes for birthdays and I have no problem with that.

Schools are in a tough position, we have to demonstrate and educate by example, so we must be seen as logical and ethical. Moderation again, is a key thing to remember.

[shaz]

I agree that it is education. An easy way to help keep balance when eating take out fast food... I get chicken and fries once a week, but I take the skin off and get only 1 set fries for the whole family to share. So we all get smaller portions, and an easy thing to add is some steamed broccoli and carrots, and sugar-less fruit juice.