essay on junk food should be banned in school canteens

Should we ban junk food in schools? We asked five experts

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Obesity rates are on the rise in Australia and across the world . For years, public health and medical groups have called for schools to ban sales of junk foods as one way to stem the tide.

Selling fatty or sugary food and drinks has been banned in Western Australia’s public schools since 2007. A 2018 study found WA children were eating healthier as a result of the ban. But it also found some regional schools were struggling to comply with it.

Some countries, including Canada and Chile , have banned junk food in schools. Should Australia do the same?

We asked five experts.

Four out of five experts said yes

Here are their detailed responses:

If you have a “yes or no” education question you’d like posed to Five Experts, email your suggestion to: [email protected]

Disclosures: Gary Sacks receives funding from the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and VicHealth.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Junk Food — Why Junk Food Should Be Banned In Schools

Why Junk Food Should Be Banned in Schools

Categories: Healthy Food Junk Food

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Words: 823 |

Published: Feb 8, 2022

Words: 823 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

Black, J. A., & Macinko, J. (2008). The changing distribution and determinants of obesity in the neighborhoods of New York City, 2003-2007. American Journal of Epidemiology, 171(7), 765-775.
Brown, M., & Flint, S. (2013). School food environments and practices affect dietary behaviors of US public school children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 113(7), 901-903.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Childhood obesity facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
Gibson, S. (2012). Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and obesity: A systematic review of the evidence from observational studies and interventions. Nutrition Research Reviews, 25(1), 354-374.
Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2001). Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: A prospective, observational analysis. The Lancet, 357(9255), 505-508.
Malik, V. S., Pan, A., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2013). Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(4), 1084-1102.

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Junk Food Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on junk food.

The term ‘junk food’ itself says a lot about this food. It indicates how it is harmful to our health. Furthermore, junk foods are basically trash which harms our bodies in different ways. They have high levels of cholesterol, sugar, calories and more. We see how nowadays, the younger generation is getting indulging in more and more junk food. This is putting their lives in danger and giving them an unhealthy lifestyle .

Furthermore, junk food does not have a single benefit. It only has ill-effects as they do not contain nutritional value . Parents must teach their kids about the ill-effects of junk food. Moreover, they must provide them with healthy meals at home so they won’t have to go out to eat fast food.

Rising Popularity of Junk Food

We all know that the fast-food industry is increasing by leaps and bounds these days. People these days are more attracted to junk food because it is appealing. Why is that? People are using manipulative ways to entice people to buy their fast food.

Moreover, junk food is prepared very easily. It takes minimum time to prepare it as it does not have any nutritious ingredients. We see how junk food does not have any special ingredients. It just contains common harmful ones in excess like oil, sugar, and more.

Furthermore, junk food is very reasonable. As it does not require any healthy material, it is not that costly. We see how it is available at very reasonable pricing. It is one of the main reasons why people buy it frequently.

Most importantly, junk food has become very accessible now, more than ever. With the onset of numerous food delivery apps, you can now get junk food with a single click. You have a plethora of options now which will deliver all sorts of junk food right at your doorstep.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Ill-effects of Junk Food

The major characteristic of junk food is that it spikes the energy levels instantly. It does not really benefit your body, just satisfies your taste buds. If we intake junk food regularly, we get moody more often.

Moreover, regular consumption of junk food causes a drop in the concentration levels of a person. This is why we see how kids these days are easily distracted. Moreover, you may also notice how obesity becoming common these days. It is a very chronic disease which is only enhanced by eating junk food.

Further, you may also notice how junk food increases blood pressure and sugar. A person gets more prone to heart diseases due to the fattening products used in it. Similarly, junk food is not easy to digest. This may gradually damage your brain function because it creates a lack of oxygen levels.

Junk food does not only damage the heart but the liver as well. It causes diabetes amongst people from an early age. Moreover, the lack of fibers in junk food equals to a damaged digestive system. This may cause constipation as well. Therefore, we see how junk food companies are fooling people. They are deceiving them into consuming their junk food to increase their sales. Thus, we need to realize this fact as soon as possible. Try to replace junk food with healthy food. Prepare your meals at home instead of ordering outside.

FAQ on Junk Food Essay

Q.1 Why is junk food getting popular?

A.1 Junk food is getting popular because it is easily accessible now. It is appealing and fast food companies are fooling the public for increasing their sales.

Q.2 State the ill-effects of junk food.

A.2 Junk food causes a lot of chronic diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, heart diseases. It drops your concentration level and messes with your digestive system.

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Junk Food Should Be Banned in Schools

Junk food essay abstract.

Nowadays, the trend of eating junk food is catching up with every teenager. Most teenagers love junk food because it is quickly cooked and delicious. Basically, junk food is sold in grocery stores or restaurants with precooked or preheated ingredients. Recent studies indicate that teenagers are consuming junk food at an alarming rate. Therefore, most junk food advertising is primarily focused on teenagers. However, many teenagers are not aware of the health effects of consuming junk food. The food in the picture is a good example of junk food. Such food looks nice, it tastes well, but is disastrous.

Junk Food Essay Introduction

Despite the consumption of junk food is popular, most of the teenagers know totally nothing regarding the health effects associated with the consumption of junk food. In most cases, they have trouble resisting the urge to taste the food when the shelves of grocery stores, commercials, and fast-food restaurants are overfilled with treats. Hence, it is important for a junk food essay to demonstrate the effects of eating junk food among teenagers.

This junk food essay will also look at ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers. One possible way is to reduce the availability of junk food is informing about its effects at schools. It would be very beneficial if the consumption of junk food among teenagers would reduce at school because, typically, students spend most of their time there, interacting with their peers. It is through this interaction that they are swayed by their peers to eat junk food. And schools’ dining places usually have plenty of junk food for sale. During class breaks, teenagers swarm into dining halls to buy snacks or purchase them from vending machines. There are other possible ways to reduce the harms, such as schools offering nutrition class and grocery stores selling teenagers modified “junk food.”

The topic of junk food is very controversial. It elicits debate whenever it is mentioned. The argument against junk food gets most backing from health experts. This is primarily because they have conducted extensive research on the effects of junk food on teenagers; hence, they are justified in opposing the consumption of junk food. Additionally, parents have begun to realize the harms of teenagers’ eating habits; however, they do not have a good method to keep teenagers away from junk food. On the other hand, teenagers love eating junk food and they are largely affected by what their peers’ are doing. Even the images of fat people do not discourage them from eating junk food either at school, at home or at a restaurant.

The issue of junk food is thought-provoking and exciting because the majority of American teenagers consume junk food on a daily basis and seems to be not concerned with the negative health effects (Spurlock 195). Most of the diseases including heart attacks, high blood pressure, cancers, diabetes, and obesity have been closely associated with the consumption of junk food. Out of all these diseases, obesity takes a central role when it comes to the harmful effects of eating junk food among teenagers. Moreover, many teenagers eat junk food, oblivious to its harmful effects.

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Many high school students gained massive weight in a short time when they were teenagers. For example, Nibin is a close friend of mine who gained nearly 20 pounds in a span of four weeks when we were still in elementary school. He used to eat pizza and hot dogs after school. He gained that much weight because he ate a lot of junk food, which is against the recommendations of medical experts. Other kids called him “Junk Food Dude” just as the boy in the book “The Adventures of Junk Food Dude.” Undoubtedly, experience with Nibin enabled us to see the devastating health effects associated with the consumption of junk food. The below image clearly demonstrates the effect of the consumption of junk food on teenagers.

Research Objectives

To establish the harmful effects of junk food consumption to teenagers’ life;
To determine ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers.

Research Questions

What is the effect of junk food consumption on teenagers’ life?
What are the ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers?

Significance of the Study

There is a huge variety of junk food available in the United States, which makes the issue severe than any other country. What is most important to note is that teenagers take having junk food every day as an eating habit. These junk foods may lead to diseases and health problems. Disturbingly, not many teenagers are aware of the health effects of eating junk food. The information obtained through this study will facilitate the determination of ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers. More so, further research can be conducted from the information obtained.

Purpose of the Junk Food Essay

Junk food is a key issue since its consumption negatively affects teenagers in that they might become obese or suffer from heart-related diseases. Many countries look upon the United States; therefore, it would be prudent for it to take a bold step in educating the teenagers on the dangers of consuming large amounts of junk food. For this reason, it is important to conduct a study on the consumption of junk food among teenagers. Ultimately, the purpose of this junk food essay is to determine ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers.

The results will be presented to parents to persuade them to comprehend the effects and convince that their children were exposing themselves to those negative effects while eating huge amounts of junk food. Some of the parents might not be cognizant of the harmful effects of eating junk food. Therefore, by interacting with them, they will realize the effects of junk food. Hence, they can take measures to ensure that their children do not consume junk food.

Furthermore, the results will be presented to the administrators of schools to the administrative office and hope the report can catch their attention. Through the report, schools would be made aware of the health dangers students were exposing themselves to by consuming junk food and schools’ responsibility of taking care of students’ health, as well as their study. Furthermore, schools will be presented with suggested ways of reducing the harms of junk food to teenagers. If they implement these suggestions, the health hazards associated with junk food will be a gone case in a few months.

Lastly, the results will be presented to junk food companies. Many junk food companies target kids as their future customers, and if they can build brand loyalty now, they will have a customer for life. People have been increasing their attention to living a healthy life. Once a company invents a healthy substitute for junk food, other junk food companies will easily lose the competition. Therefore, it is significant to make the companies aware that producing healthy food is beneficial for teenagers and also the long-term growth of the company.

The fast-food effect is a great concern affecting people around the world. A lot of individuals and companies have created campaigns to notify and educate people. All of them have the same aim - to prevent the consequences of fast food. Since fast food consumption impacts caused campaigns in mass media, communities and schools have been forced to reach various discourse organizations and the genre of these campaigns covers various information.

Nowadays, the United States has the biggest fast food industry than any other country in the world. It also adds to the problem that teens see advertisements with tasty junk food everywhere, they are tempted to try it and think they become cool consuming it. However, an average meal at a fast-food joint has about 1000 to 1500 calories. That is half of the daily calorie intake of a teenager. Teenagers often overeat because of the large portions served. Teens with extra weight are less likely to take part in sports and more likely to transform into couch potatoes. They are at risk of becoming fat, and it has both psychological and health dangers. Overweight teens have to live with teasing at school. This can affect their development and cause low self-esteem. Eating poorly can lead to a vicious cycle of eating more than required, low self-esteem, anti-social behavior, fatigue, and even depression.

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If they are overweight in adulthood, they can be prone to overweight related diseases, like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart problems, and gout. Frequent consumption of junk food makes teens face the risk of developing insulin resistance. Junk food has no nutrition value and makes such harm to the teenage body as overweight, chronic degenerative diseases, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, heart diseases, affection of the oxygen flow to the brain cells and others. It also causes a constant feeling of hunger, fatigue, and tiredness. Teen over-weight usually leads to consequences like depression which has a negative influence on the development and growth, social relationships, performance in school and can sometimes lead to suicide.

The harmful effect and consequences of eating fast food were not clear at the beginning. With time, campaigns have been promoted to make the community aware of these consequences and make people develop a healthier diet. Contrary to it, fast food joints use various forms of marketing to promote their products. Advertising on television, radio, restaurants, websites, and signs as well as social media are all creating advertisements to affect the community about fast food. However, there are a lot of campaigns that try to avert the dangers of consuming junk food. The purpose of such campaigns is to improve knowledge about the dangerous consequences of both direct and long term health diseases because of eating at fast-food restaurants. They provide statistics, reports, nutrition facts, information about growing overweight problems in the United States. These campaigns generally express knowledge to younger adults about the influence of nutrition and healthy lifestyles by concentrating on the hazardous effects of junk food.

Junk Food Essay Conclusion

The teen years are the time of quick physical and emotional development. The food nutrients are the fuel for this growth, and a nutritious diet is important for good health when you are a teenager. Junk food contains items like sweets, chips, and soda that are high in calories and fat but nutritionally low. Understanding the junk food effect on teens' growth helps to stress the importance of a healthy diet.

Junk food seems to be appealing because of its price, taste, and convenience. Children do not usually understand the consequences of this kind of food because it is so appetizing and they easily become addicted (Fleck). Of course, teenagers can sometimes have a burger or pizza, about once a week. But they should be prompted to this kind of food in smaller portions. Adults have to let them know about other food options and the bad effects of junk food. Once they are aware of what they eat, they may go for healthier food. Parents can only tell them more about what they eat. The idea is to attach eating habits from the very beginning but avoid overdoing it. It is good to keep a combination of both healthy and not healthy snacks at home. Sometimes, teenagers should be allowed to have a soda. The harder they are pushed on, the more they resist. So, it is necessary to find the balance - not too hard, not too lenient.

The greatest problem is that junk food is easy to reach, delicious and not too expensive. It is also has a lot of fat and refined starch, and almost no fiber and is highly processed. Teens eat burgers, French fries, pizzas with soda that contains lots of calories. Fast food restaurants are also great places to have fun with friends.

In order to avert the global problem, all possible informative means should be used to make teenagers realize the harmful effects of junk food. It is not necessary to avoid eating it, but it is of vital importance to avoid the habit of eating such food. The conclusion is that young individuals must eat less of the calorie-dense, nutrient-poor meals served at fast-food joints. Schools and parents can do a lot to make children aware of healthy choices. First of all, fast food joints must strongly change their current marketing practices, that teenagers and children do not receive ongoing encouragement to look for food that will greatly damage their health. Additionally, when young individuals visit, the joints should do more to help them make more healthy choices.

Junk Food Essay Summary

The traditional eating habits of American teenagers are not healthy, mostly because they eat too much junk food. However, sufficient efforts have not been put in place to educate teenagers on the harmful effects of consuming junk food. The number of obese teenagers keeps on increasing at an alarming rate. Also, the number of health-related cases caused by the intake of junk food keeps on increasing every day. Evidently, this shows that most teenagers are either not aware of the harmful effects of junk food or are just ignorant of the consequences. The extensive research needs to be conducted in this area to provide schools, parents, and teenagers themselves with adequate information on the extent of the effect of junk food consumption. Ultimately, such research would yield suggestions on how people can work together to reduce the harms of junk food to teenagers.

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Junk Food Should Be Banned

Many children in America eat large amounts of junk food, and this can cause health problems. In fact, junk food is even sold in the vending machines of many schools. This debate is about the good and bad points for how junk food should be banned. Whether you believe junk food is unhealthy, or you think it’s good, please add to this debate.

All the Yes points:

Junk food is unhealthy, junk food can cause obesity, unhealthy food may be bad for brain function, junk food can increase the risk of diabetes, banning junk food in schools could decrease the frequency of heart disease, junk food can have negative affects on bone health, habits are often formed during childhood and it’s important to ensure that kids eat a healthy diet in school, bans on junk food have been successful, some regions have already put warning labels on junk foods, fast food chains have even made efforts to make their foods less “junky”, all the no points:, yes because….

Junk food is highly unhealthy and can transform fit, healthy human beings into obese, lazy people. Is this what we want Earth to become for the future generations? I should think not. Eating too much junk food can cause your life to be shortened, and this is terrible. This is why I believe that junk food should be banned.

No because…

Junk food isn’t that bad. Healthy food can be just as bad sometimes. And when people try to change it, it just doesn’t work. For instance, my school’s canteen had a food change to make the food healthier. One day they cooked “healthy” fish and chips, and the people who spent $5 on it, got no chips and a tiny half-frozen piece of fish. This could happen to any other canteen, and I strongly advise against it happening, as it will turn out not to work.

The rate of obesity in the United States has risen dramatically. According to the CDC , more than one third of the population is considered obese. The rate of obesity is similar among children to the rate of obesity in the general population. Many more people are not obese but overweight. According to USAToday , around two thirds of the population is overweight. According to ScienceDaily, even moderate obesity can substantially shorten life expectancy. Over consumption of junk foods is a major contributing factor in the obesity epidemic. Many junk foods are extremely high in calories, and it’s easy for a person to exceed the recommended number of calories when they eat junk foods. Banning junk food in schools would reduce the amount of junk food that kids eat. Furthermore, some schools have already taken this step.

If junk foods are banned, kids will still eat junk food while in school. Instead of getting it from the school vending machines, they’ll sneak it in. This could create a climate of evasiveness among students. In some cases, students may even sneak out of school to buy junk food. Additionally, junk food is still likely to be freely available at home. Therefore, it’s possible that kids would simply binge on junk foods when they aren’t in school. This could cause their overall consumption of junk food to remain unchanged. Furthermore, banning junk food could increase the sense of boredom among students. This could potentially result in decreased academic performance. Another drawback to banning junk foods in schools is that it could be more difficult to prepare meals for students. By contrast, many junk foods can be prepared quickly. Furthermore, healthier food tends to be more expensive. The increased expense could result in an increase in school taxes. It also could result in an increase in the cost of school lunches.

According to WebMD , eating too much junk food could result in decreases in brain function. According to Consumer Health Digest , there are several types of food that are bad for brain health. The additives and preservatives in junk food can have impairing effects on cognition. Foods with a high level of salt also have been shown to reduce cognitive performance. Studies have also shown that fatty foods impair cognition. In addition, foods that contain residual amounts of pesticides might cause negative effects on brain health. Many healthy foods contain chemicals that are necessary for optimal brain function, such as Omega-3s. According to the University of Maryland , Omega-3s are extremely important. A deficiency of Omega-3s has been linked to a number of common mental health disorders, such as depression and ADHD. It’s even thought that a deficiency of Omega-3s could make one more prone to develop severe mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Banning junk food in schools could encourage students to eat more healthy food. This could reduce the prevalence of mental health problems among students. It also could improve the school performance of students.

Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common, and over consumption of junk food can increase one’s risk of developing it. There are two reasons why Type 2 diabetes can be caused by eating too much junk food. Many junk foods contain a high volume of sugar. If high volumes of sugar are consumed over a long period of time, the body can stop producing enough insulin. This can lead to Type 2 diabetes. In addition, Type 2 diabetes can be induced by becoming overweight or obese. In fact, many people who have Type 2 diabetes are able to cure the condition by losing weight. Serious health complications can result from Type 2 diabetes. In fact, Type 2 diabetes can even result in serious circulation problems that can result in amputation. In fact, diabetes is considered to be one of the primary causes of death in the United States. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases , Type 2 diabetes can develop during one’s childhood under some circumstances. Banning junk foods in schools could result in a decreased rate of obesity, and fewer kids would over consume sugar. These habits may stick with kids for life, and this could further reduce the frequency of Type 2 diabetes.

Heart disease is a common cause of death in the United States, and it has been known to develop in children younger than age 18, according to WebMD . Poor diet is a major contributing factor to the development of heart disease. Therefore, an improved diet from a junk food ban in school could help to reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease. The reduction in obesity rates that could result from banning junk food in schools could have a particularly significant effect in terms of reducing the frequency of heart disease.

It’s unknown how much kids’ consumption of junk food would be reduced by banning junk foods in schools. If the ban didn’t reduce the amount of junk food that kids eat, the rate of heart disease would likely remain unchanged.

During childhood, bones are developing. Growing children need a significant quantity of calcium each day for bone development. Without enough calcium, serious defects in bone development can occur. A poor diet can increase one’s risk of developing osteoporosis, according to UPI . In addition to the lack of calcium in junk food, many junk foods contain high levels of sugar and fat. This can weaken bones. If junk foods are consumed in schools, this may cause kids to continue to eat a poor diet as adults. It’s thought that the first six years of life are crucial in ensuring that a proper diet for bone health is maintained throughout one’s life.

Banning junk food is likely to have an impact on one’s diet throughout their entire life. Prominent psychologists feel that healthy habits are formed during childhood. According to Blakeslee , a prominent psychologist, dietary habits formed in childhood tend to last throughout life.

If children sneak in junk food from home, banning junk foods in school wouldn’t help children to learn healthier ways of eating for life. Instead, the time and effort that went with sneaking in junk food could reinforce the habit of eating it even more.

Some schools in California have changed their policies on junk food. Instead of serving it in the school vending machines, they have switched over to serving carrots and other healthy foods. At these schools , it’s been estimated that students consumed an average of 160 calories less over the course of the school day. This is a significant decrease, and there was no evidence that these students over consumed junk food to any greater degree at home. This would be a significant enough reduction in caloric intake to significantly reduce one’s risk of becoming obese. If food that is served in vending machines at schools has health benefits, it would help to ensure that students get proper nutrition. If students are given the opportunity to buy healthy foods or junk foods from the vending machines, it’s likely that many students would choose the junk foods over healthier foods. Given the success of these bans, it’s likely that more and more schools will begin to follow suit in banning junk food. At least, it’s likely that more schools will stop selling junk food in their vending machines.

San Francisco has put warning labels on sugary sodas. This effort is also being considered by a state lawmaker in California, according to Reuters . While the products haven’t been taken off the shelves in any location, the effort is intended to inform the public about the dangers of drinking large amounts of sugary beverages. Given the fact that governments have issued warnings about sugary sodas, it makes us wonder if we really should allow them to be sold in schools. In addition to warnings on sugary sodas, warnings have been considered for foods that have a high concentration of salt. This is due to the fact that excessive salt intake can cause hypertension (high blood pressure). Some school aged children suffer from the condition. Many popular junk foods, such as potato chips, tend to have extremely high levels of salt. It’s not just San Francisco that is taking a stance on over consumption of junk food. In France, there recently was a law passed to prohibit free refills of sugary sodas.

While these laws have been successfully implemented, many feel that this is evidence that bans on junk food in schools could be a stepping stone to giving the government increased power over our day to day lives. A bill was even considered in New York City that would prevent sodas larger than 16 ounces from being sold. There was a large amount of opposition to this law. It can be difficult to determine where to draw the line as to what constitutes junk food. Foods vary considerably in terms of their nutritional value. So, it could be challenging to create a universal definition of what junk food is.

While many things on the McDonald’s menu are still very much junk food, the chain has begun to make an effort to reduce the amount of trans fats in their foods. According to CBS , one of their french fry oils no longer contains any trans fats. This helps to reduce the negative effects of the grease on the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, they have begun to incorporate healthier menu options in addition to the junk foods they offer. For instance, McDonald’s has started offering a variety of salads. In addition, they have begun to offer snack wraps with a relatively low amount of calories. This illustrates that Americans are becoming more and more health conscious. Therefore, many people would likely be in favor of banning junk foods in schools.

The fact that McDonald’s and other fast food chains have made an effort to make their menu items healthier doesn’t necessarily mean that people would tend to support banning junk foods in schools. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants still sell quite a lot of junk food. Therefore, many people would likely be disappointed about a ban on junk foods in schools.

To ban junk food would be a complete failure. It would also leave people feeling that their freedom of choice was taken. A better way to handle junk food is to make laws more strict about ingredient labels. Perhaps require foods with little nutritional value to have their nutrition facts be bolder and in a bright colour.

Every moving Junk Food franchise accumulates approximately $1 million a day. There are over 500 such franchises all over Australia and USA. Multinational companies like Lay’s, Doritos, etc. also make in the millions and billions. So imagine the amount of money international money, that would be drawn in every month. This kind of a cash flow is a necessity for big country economies to run. Hence, we should no let fast food joints or Junk food producing companies should not be shut down.

i think it is unhealthy i do not want OBESITY

I know junk food is good but at the same time junk food is not. Most people buys junk food but they don’t know that they are just wasting money and destroying their health. So I’ll got for “JUNK FOOD SHOULD BE BANNED”.

Hey! Very well written blog. According to The American Heart Association, we consume more than three times the amount of sugar over the recommended daily limit. Furthermore, these processed foods are tearing holes in our intestinal lining, allowing partially or undigested foods entry into our blood stream. It causes inflammation which not only effects the body but also effects the brain.

“junk food” is healthy and does not deserve a ban people say it is unhealthy and junk but it is NOT people are just jelous

Yes because it can cause a lot of stuff like brain damage and 108millon died cause of dieibites and it can cause cancer and more

keep the animals safe and healthy

ban all junk food so the animals will be saved

dave was here

Junk food can be good for the body if eaten in moderation, your body needs sugar and variety. The only people who get obese because of it, is people who are addicted to takis and stuff.

but…i love takis

takis are the best get a different example

you are grounded for that comment

Sure, junk food is bad for you, but it shouldn’t be banned; we should cut down on it. Junk food should only be eaten in moderation.

Junk food is unhealthy but it shouldn’t be banned because it creates jobs to help with economic debt we should just lower the amount of junk food we eat.

it will make people go to school but they could only get fast food if they do their woork

there were some of the other teams arguments in the other team’s speeches, but overall, this was great!

yes because

i am da god

Yes you are good god

someone wrote their sentence wrong it says ‘negative affects on bone health’ but it is actually ‘effects’.

Does anyone know who wrote this

I am concerned with all of the junk food that my school sells, and what my friends consume, from this school. The school is literally selling obesity, and I am kind of getting sucked into the junk food circle! I want it, but I know that it is horrible for you. I love chips and soda, but I don’t want diabetes, and I don’t love cholesterol.

That you can solve by eating a controlled amount and limiting your pocket money so you can’t afford more and you won’t get addicted.

Then don’t eat it…

All the people who liked this comment were probably adults with children that are obese, lol. Here’s a trick, if you don’t want your children to become obese, feed them healthily, maybe? Your probably buying all the junk food for them…

What are we calling junk food though.? I’m guessing we mean things with little nutrional value that have lots of fat sugar salt etc I’m on a low fat, low sugar, low carb diet due to health issues. I’m not sure we can ban ‘junk’ totally. A burger is deemed unhealthy but surely it’s grilled beef, meat bread and salad if wanted. Bakeries and take aways would disappear as would anything with sugar fat in it. It’s a lovely utopia dream but not really possible, if we eat too much of any one thing it’s not healthy. We can’t survive on just lettuce. Obesity isn’t just about junk food. It you eat large portions that too will encourage weight gain as well as lack of exercise. You can’t make people be more healthy. It’s down to the individual at the end of the day. But if people suffer health issues due to obesity then I think they owe it to the NHS to make an effort. We need to issue overweight people more options like prescribing a membership at the gym. A dietician, or perhaps vouchers to buy more healthy food, which is more expensive. Be hard to monitor though. I do want to cry when I see chubby kids though as that’s not their choice, its down to parents to buy cook their food, therefore allowing a child to become obese amounts to child cruelty in my eyes.

Junk food and fast food should be banned for all of the reasons mentioned. Another reason I feel it should be banned is because people don’t appreciate where the meat in their meals has come from . It’s more than likely been farmed intensively meaning an unfair quality of life for the animal, not the kindest ending to their life. The more worrying thing is that most intensively farmed animals are given antibiotics to prevent disease spreading and speed up their growth . HUMANS are eating this either through meat or dairy consumption and not to mention how much comes out through animal waste ! We are already starting to build a resistance towards antibiotics and surely this is just speeding the process up ? I feel need to go back to basics and start cooking, eat less meat ( or less cheaper intensively farmed meat and dairy) and stop paying these big takeaway companies and supermarkets to continue supplying us with this type of meat. The more we demand the more they supply. How do we get people to wake up to the fact that what they put in their mouths for their convenience is doing a lot more harm than what they realise.

No, and here are 6 reasons why. 1 restricting junk food early on only makes it more irresistible later when it’s their choice. 2 eating junk food can actually be healthy, a recent study shows that certain junk food has antioxidants that are good for the heart. 3 junk food like candy, cookies, and biscuits. 4 children should learn to make their own choices. 5 in school garbages the most wasted food is healthy food. 6 people like it and that’s their choice!

1: NOT restricting junk food early on makes it irresistible later, when you have gotten into a habit of eating delicious foods constantly, it becomes extraordinarily hard to stop later on-especially on young minds. 2: While certain types of junk food have antioxidants, there are much better ways to introduce these antioxidants. Throwing a few chemicals on candy and saying it is healthy is an overkill. 3: These foods could include milk, vegetables, or wholesome breads. 4: Its proven that children have a harder time making the right choice when there is a much more appealing choice. Children who need to learn to make the right choice have much more efficient options to help them learn independence. 5: By only providing healthy food to eat, children will eat that instead of starving themselves because they only eat junk food. By telling them junk food is bad and withholding it they won’t get into a habit of only eating junk food. 6: That’s there is home. At school, they should be educated on making good choices and we shouldn’t expose them to bad foods-even if they like it. Schools are a learning environment after all.

I agree. children should stay healthy but sometimes, they should be able to have it. it shouldn’t be an all the time thing.

I agree most definitely

I’m 18, I had a fairly happy and stable childhood, parents that were together and took care of me. I had many friends, got really good grades and had nothing to stress about. I also had anxiety and depression for the past four years of my life. It has honestly been the worst and most baffling period of my life. I have never been able to understand it. Until recently when i wanted to lose weight and started looking into healthy food alternatives and their health benefits I also started looking into why I started picking up weight in the first place. in my research I found that one of the causes might be a thyroid imbalance I went to the clinic and after a couple of tests they confirmed it. I looked into what caused thyroid problems(junk food) and what effect this would have on me ( one of the symptoms are anxiety and depression). I went to the doctor again because of some other issues I was having with my body and they said I had a gluten intolerance ( also causes anxiety and depression also caused by junk food). I can not explain how badly anxiety and depression ruined my life. It robbed me of so many precious feelings and moments in my life that I will never get to experience again and also simultaneously made me remove any people I might have cared for out of my life because of my fear of hurting them. Four years of my life I will never get back, all because no one explained to me what the labels at the back of my food actually meant. All because no one informed me of how these chemicals effect our bodies, All because buying healthy food is ridiculously expensive in comparison to unhealthy food. I mean this literally ruined my life, if something can cause thus much harm to someone surely it should be illegal. Sorry if this comes across as bitter, its just I would much rather someone had taught me about this in school rather than the Pythagorean theory.

I couldn’t agree more and Thankyou for sharing your experience . Sorry to hear about your health suffering but I am so happy you’ve found out the cause and know how to feel good again . I have a young daughter and I’m scared to let her see what rubbish food restaurants are out there . Everyone thinks I’m overreacting when I don’t want her eating at these places and get offended if I don’t have meals with them . I can understand how it ruins part of your life . I home cook everything and know I’m giving my daughter the best start . Thanks again for your story

Do you know how ridiculous this looks? All because SOMEONE ELSE never showed you how to read labels? So basically its SOMEONE elses fault. As someone who has spent years of their life in therapy/psychiatry I can tell you the root of your problem was more based on blame than food. If you magically got better after you learned something to blame it on.. Sure a crappy diet doesn’t help.. but basically it looks like you finally took action to a problem…and fixed it. Like normal adults. Its part of growing up.

I really appreciate you for sharing your experience with us. It was so sad to hear about your health suffering but on the other side I feel so happy on your recovery. We all know that banning the junk food is not the solution, the children should let themselves think about what is bad or good for their life. I am a seventh standard kid from india. I just want to let the government think about what they would do, we also have the right to chosen that is why our country is a democratic country. Once again I thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Agree that junk food should be banned

Oof dude u alright?

We would love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

I think junk food should not be banned , because some children does not like eating veggies,i did’nt mean tha t we shoul’dnt eat veggies, we should eat but if we ban it children will stay hungry, and will not be able to concentrate.

Starving is better than being bullied because of your obese self therefore junk food should be banned

great work there bro.

I think junk food should be banned because of obesity bullying some people commit suicide because of how big they get and the bigger you are the more of earth atmosphere gets used up you die faster than most people And if Global warming is a thing then stay skinny so less of global warming is reduced

What exactly is Junk Food? How does one define junk food? I heard a can of peas is consideered junk food while dry peas is not? Really? I takes time, to prepare dried peas, if one still has their utilities still in tact, no shut off because they can not afford the cost.

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Proper Argumentative Essay Example About Junk Foods Should Be Banned In Schools

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Food , Junk , Students , Foods , Family , Junk Foods , Children , Schools

Words: 1200

Published: 03/08/2023

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Obesity is one of the leading problems in the society today and many persons believe that this stems from the unhealthy eating practices that are present in the schools’ cafeterias. More often than not, students will gravitate towards eating junk foods as this practice is less time consuming and is more fascinating for children who want foods that are appealing to their sight and tastes. But, recent studies have shown that junk food can cause serious risks to the health and lifestyle of children. The problem intensifies as students are able to access junk foods in the school canteens. The consumption of junk food is unhealthy as these foods lack the nutritional value that the body needs to grow and develop. The truth is that school is a place for learning, but learning should not just include the academic framework of the development of the child. It should be the place where children learn the benefits and the challenges that come with social and health development in the body. The truth is that junk foods should be banned in schools as it allows from poor nutritional development and increases the likelihood of health problems in young children. Researchers show that “junk food is generally defined as food items that have little nutritional value beyond providing fat or sugar” (Junk food 2003) in the body. Additionally, junk food contains ingredients that are highly processed and have “excessive amounts of potentially harmful ingredients like salt” (Junk food 2003) and high fructose corn syrup. Junk foods often taste much better that healthy food and this is one of the main reasons for children gravitating towards junk foods. But, these “tasty” treats lack “the daily requirements of vitamins, protein, fiber, or other essentials” (Junk foods 2003) and as such they created a number of concerns for the health of these children. Most of the snacks that student purchase from the vending machines at schools have low or moderate nutritional value and yet students continue to consume these foods because they are easy to prepare and cost less (Svokos 2014). The excessive junk foods in these canteens in schools can lead to serious health challenges including unhealthy growth and development and obesity. Childhood obesity arises from the increase in the kilojoules that the students consume through junk foods and this problem intensifies as most students do not perform exercises that will help to reduce the intake of junk foods. The obesity challenges are not the only challenges that students face because of the consumption of junk foods. The problem intensifies as children continue to consume high levels of sugar and fat that are common to junk foods. Students who consume junk foods in school run the risk of consuming a high level of sugar and increase the likelihood of health challenges. Therefore, junk foods must be removed from the school canteens in order to prevent serious challenges for the children. The consumption of junk foods prevents healthy growth and development of the children. There are chemical additives in junk foods that help to improve or enhance the color and flavor of these products. But, these addictives also increases the level of hyperactivity in children and leads to poor concentration in classes. Additionally, the increase in the hyperactivity among students will lead to a lack of concentration and in turn leads to the decline in educational performance in students. Joel Fuhrman suggests that “there is a clear impact of nutrition on the potential development of Alzheimer’s disease and other late-life cognitive disorders” (Fuhrman 2013). In addition, the author suggests that “the damaging effects of unhealthy foods on the brain occur throughout life” (Fuhrman 2013) mainly because children’s early diets include pizza, burgers, chicken nuggets, pasta, French fries, sodas and sweetened cold cereals. These junk foods are served daily in many school cafeterias and present a negative impact on the school learning and performance. Parents support the learning and development of their children and yet they allow these children to partake in the junk foods that are served daily in the school’s cafeterias. The truth is that junk foods are unhealthy for learning and performance and therefore parents need to raise the calls for bans on junk foods in schools if they want the best possible outcome for their children. Schools form the early stages of development and this development should include health development in the eating patterns of the children. School cafeterias earn revenues from the sales of junk foods and this is one of the reasons from schools promoting junk foods. But, Jonathon M. Seidl argues that schools can become successful in enforcing bans on junk food in schools in order to improve and promote healthy eating habits and in turn fight obesity in children (Seidl 2016). The introduction of healthy foods in the diet will not detract from the financial revenues that the schools amass. But even if this occurs, schools should be more concerned with the health of these students and not so much with the financial benefits that they receive from the sales of junk foods in their cafeteria. The reality is that unhealthy snacks cause negative health challenges for children and schools should become responsible for their contribution to the negative health problems that arise from the sale of junk foods in the cafeterias. In concluding, junk foods are unhealthy for children in many ways. The consumption of these foods lead to obesity and heart related conditions and yet the schools continue to act as the champion of educating young minds academically and forgetting to educate these young minds on healthy eating practices. Children consume junk foods in their homes on a regular basis because of the changes in the family structure and the fact that parents have less time to prepare healthy meals for their children. As such it is important for schools to help these parents to improve the eating patterns of children by removing junk foods such as sodas and other high fructose corn syrup products. In addition, schools should assess the related literature on the health challenges that may arise from the consumption of junk foods on a whole and ban the sales in the schools. This process will undoubtedly improve the health conditions of children and in turn improve the health of the future generations.

Dunham, W. (2011) "Junk Food Should Be Banned in Schools." Should Junk Food Be Sold in Schools? Ed. Norah Piehl. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. from "Expert Panel Urges Junk Food Ban in Schools." Reuters, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. Fuhrman, J., (2013) Junk Food May Limit Children's Intelligence and Learning Ability, Retrieved from http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/children-junk-food-may-limit-childrens-intelligence-and-learning-ability.html 5 Apr 2016 "Junk Food." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu 25 Mar. 2016. Seidl, J. "Banning Junk Food in Schools Is Effective." Should Junk Food Be Sold in Svokos, A. (2014) Children Who Eat More Fast Food Show Less Academic Improvement, Study Shows, The Huffington Post Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/23/fast-food-school-effects_n_6369284.html 5 Apr 2016

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Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity

Ashlesha datar.

RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA, gro.dnar@ratad , Phone: 1-310-393-0411 x7367, Fax: 1-310-260-8161

Nancy Nicosia

RAND Corporation, 20 Park Plaza, 7th Floor, Suite 720, Boston, MA 02116, USA, gro.dnar@aisocin , Phone: 1-617-338-2059 x4227

Despite limited empirical evidence, there is growing concern that junk food availability in schools has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. In this paper, we estimate the effects of junk food availability on BMI, obesity, and related outcomes among a national sample of fifth-graders. Unlike previous studies, we address the endogeneity of the school food environment by controlling for children’s BMI at school entry and estimating instrumental variables regressions that leverage variation in the school’s grade span. Our main finding is that junk food availability does not significantly increase BMI or obesity among this fifth grade cohort despite the increased likelihood of in-school junk food purchases. The results are robust to alternate measures of junk food availability including school administrator reports of sales during school hours, school administrator reports of competitive food outlets, and children’s reports of junk food availability. Moreover, the absence of any effects on overall food consumption and physical activity further support the null findings for BMI and obesity.

1. Introduction

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the US is at an all-time high with nearly one-third of all children and adolescents now considered overweight or obese ( Ogden et al 2008 ). Considerable attention has been focused on schools in an attempt to identify policy levers that will help reverse the obesity epidemic. In particular, the availability of “competitive foods”, defined as foods and beverages available or sold in schools outside of the school lunch and breakfast programs, has been a much debated issue. On the one hand, opponents question the nutritional value of competitive foods and consider them the primary source of “junk foods” in schools. Indeed, the available evidence suggests that these foods are higher in fat compared with foods sold as part of the school meal programs ( Gordon et al 2007b , Harnack et al 2000 , Wechsler et al 2000, Story, Hayes & Kalina 1996 ). On the other hand, supporters argue that revenues from these food sales provide much-needed funding for schools, especially in times of budgetary pressures ( Gordon et al 2007a ).

The debate draws from largely cross-sectional research that rarely addresses the potential endogeneity of the school food environment. Our paper advances the literature by attempting to isolate the causal effect of junk food availability on children’s food consumption and BMI. We use longitudinal data on BMI for a national sample of fifth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class (ECLS-K) and an instrumental variables (IV) approach that leverages the well-documented fact that junk foods are significantly more prevalent in middle and high schools relative to elementary schools ( Finkelstein, Hill and Whitaker 2008 ). Plausibly exogenous variation in junk food availability across a cohort of fifth graders is identified using the grade structure in their schools. We argue that a fifth grader attending a combined (e.g. K-8, K-12) or middle school (e.g. 5–8) is more likely to be exposed to junk foods compared to a fifth grader in an elementary school (e.g. K-5, K-6), but that the school’s grade span has no direct effect on a child’s weight. First-stage regressions confirm that combined school attendance is a strong predictor of junk food availability. Further tests for instrument validity including an examination of sorting and peer effects support our use of the instrument.

We find that junk food availability has small positive associations with BMI and obesity in basic OLS models that only control for a limited set of covariates, but those associations become insignificant when controls for BMI at school entry and state fixed effects are added. Our IV models, which address potential bias in the OLS models, generate somewhat larger, albeit less precise, point estimates that are also not statistically significant. Even if the IV point estimates were statistically significant, they would still represent only minor increases in BMI and obesity, generally one-third of one percent. Moreover, reduced form estimates, which are more precisely estimated than IV estimates, provide further support because combined school attendance has no significant effects on 5 th graders’ BMI and obesity. These results are robust to alternative measures of junk food availability and sample restrictions. The models also produce the expected findings on various falsification tests.

While we acknowledge their limitations, ancillary analyses of children’s in-school junk food purchases, total consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods, and physical activity are consistent with our null findings for BMI and obesity. Our estimates suggest that the caloric contributions of in-school junk food purchases are likely to be small. Moreover, we find evidence consistent with substitution between in- and out-of-school consumption. Specifically, the total amount of soda and fast food consumed in- and out-of-school, is not significantly higher among those children with greater exposure to junk food in school (i.e. attending a combined school). And, finally, we find little support for the notion that children substitute calories from healthy foods or increase their physical activity to compensate for increased junk food intake.

The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. We first discuss junk food availability in schools and the findings from the existing literature in Section 2. Section 3 describes our data and relevant analysis variables. In Section 4, we describe our empirical strategy, which leverages longitudinal information on BMI and implements an instrumental variables approach to identify the causal impact of junk food availability. In Section 5, we first discuss our main results for children’s BMI and obesity and then support these findings with robustness checks and falsification tests. We also present supporting evidence from models of in-school purchases of junk food, total consumption of various healthy and unhealthy items, and physical activity. Finally, Section 6 concludes with the policy implications of our findings.

2. Background and Literature

Competitive foods are sold through a la carte lines, vending machines, school canteens/stores, and fundraisers and, in contrast to the federally-reimbursable school meal programs, are not subject to federal nutritional standards. As a result, competitive foods account for much of the variation in the food environment across schools. Competitive foods are available in a large share of schools, although the availability of these foods varies significantly across elementary, middle, and high schools. For example, as many as 97% of high schools and 82% of middle schools have vending machines compared to only 17% of elementary schools ( Gordon et al 2007a ). However, a la carte lines, which are the predominant source of competitive food sales, operate not only in most high (93%) and middle (92%) schools, but also in a large proportion of elementary schools (71%) ( Gordon et al 2007b ).

Sales of competitive foods have the potential to generate significant revenues for schools. During 2005–2006, middle and high schools earned an average of $10,850 and $15,233, respectively, from a la carte sales alone ( Gordon et al 2007a ). In addition, nearly a third of high schools and middle schools earned between $1,000–$9,999 during that same year from vending machines, another ten percent earned between $10,000–$50,000, and a small number earned in excess of $50,000 per year. These revenues may in turn be supplemented by on-site school stores and pouring contracts with beverage companies. While availability and revenues were less common in elementary schools, nearly half of elementary schools had pouring rights contracts, and competitive food sales from fundraising activities were also common.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s regulations on competitive foods in schools had been comprehensive, but in 1983, a successful lawsuit by the National Soft Drink Association limited the scope of these regulations to food service areas during meal hours ( Institute of Medicine 2007 ). In recent years, several states, districts, and schools have enacted competitive food policies that are more restrictive than federal regulations. And, between 2003 and 2005, approximately 200 pieces of legislation were introduced in US state legislatures to establish nutritional standards in schools or to address the availability or quality of competitive foods ( Boehmer et al 2007 ). At the federal level, legislation was passed in 2004 requiring local education agencies to develop a “wellness policy” by 2006 that included nutrition guidelines for all of the foods available in schools. More recently, there has been debate in the US Congress over enacting an amendment to the farm bill that would further restrict the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages in schools ( Black 2007 ). At the local level, two of the largest school districts in the nation, New York City Public School District and Los Angeles Unified School District, imposed a ban on soda vending in schools in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

Despite the growing support for competitive food regulation, it is hard to deny opponents’ claims that the evidence against competitive foods is limited. Existing research does show that competitive food availability is associated with a decline in nutritional quality of meals consumed at school ( Cullen et al 2000 , Cullen & Zakeri 2004 ; Templeton, Marlette & Panemangalore 2005 ). 1 However, less is known about the effects on overall diet quality (consumed both in and out of school) and children’s weight. The literature does provide some evidence of substitution of caloric intake across meals and locations among adults ( Anderson and Matsa 2011 ), but the evidence is less clear regarding children for whom parental oversight can also play a role. Only Kubik and colleagues have examined 24 hour dietary recall (2003) and BMI (2005) among children, however these studies are based on small cross-sectional samples and do not address the potential endogeneity of the school food environment. 2 , 3

The only effort to address endogeneity is in Anderson and Butcher (2006) , who use national data on adolescents aged 14–20 years to examine whether various school food policies influence BMI (based on self-reported height and weight data). In the absence of a single data source containing information on school food policies and BMI among adolescents, the authors use a two-sample IV approach that employs county, state, and regional characteristics as instruments to capture budgetary pressures on schools. They find that a 10 percentage point increase in the proportion of schools in the county that offer junk foods leads to a 1 percent increase in BMI. But this effect is primarily driven by adolescents with an overweight parent, which the authors interpret as a measure of family susceptibility. 4 Their IV approach constitutes an innovation over the literature, but the authors acknowledge that their results may be undermined by a weak first stage.

Our paper adds to the existing literature in its sample, methodology and scope. First, to our knowledge, ours is the only study that addresses the endogeneity of the school food environment among younger children. The focus on fifth graders is useful because junk food regulations are increasingly targeting elementary and middle schools. 5 And our national sample of children provides a larger and more representative sample with significant variation in school environments. Second, our data contain actual measurements of children’s height and weight, unlike the self-reports from other national datasets that have been used to examine this question previously. Third, our approach improves on the common cross-sectional designs by controlling for children’s BMI at school entry and state fixed-effects, and leveraging variation in schools’ grade spans to estimate IV models. Finally, unlike previous studies, we also provide evidence on the underlying mechanisms by examining effects on food consumption and physical activity.

The ECLS-K is a panel dataset on a nationally representative cohort of kindergarteners in the U.S. who entered school in fall 1998. In the fall and spring of kindergarten and the spring of the first, third, and fifth grades, the study collected information from the children and their parents, teachers, and schools on children′s cognitive, social, emotional, physical development (including BMI), and their home, classroom, and school environments. One limitation is that the information on the school food environment and children’s food consumption was collected only in the fifth grade. Our analysis sample includes the approximately 9,380 children attending the fifth grade in public and private schools in the 2003–04 school year. 6 In this section, we describe the key variables for our analyses.

3.1. Dependent Variables Measuring BMI, Food Consumption and Physical Activity

Body mass index (bmi).

A distinct advantage of the ECLS-K is that it collected height and weight measurements from children at kindergarten (school) entry and in the spring of kindergarten and first, third, and fifth grades. Measurements are superior to self- or parent-reported height and weight data that may introduce non-random measurement error. These measurements are used to compute BMI, defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. The average BMI in our sample during the fifth grade is 20.4 ( Table 1 ). Approximately 20% of the ECLS-K sample is categorized as obese – this is nearly identical to prevalence rates among 6–11 years olds from the 2007–8 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( Ogden et al 2010 ). 7

Descriptive Statistics in the Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9,380. Means are unweighted. Standard deviation in parentheses.

Junk Food Purchase in School

The food consumption questionnaire collected information on in-school junk food purchase during the fifth grade. These questions asked children about their purchases of sweets, salty snack foods, and sweetened beverages (hereafter, referred to as “soda”) during the previous week. 8 A substantial majority of the children did not purchase junk food in school during the reference week: 77% for sweets, 84% for salty snacks, and 88% for soda (see Appendix Table A1 ). But a large share of these children did not have junk food available in their schools (see Section 3.2). Conditional on availability, about half the sample purchased any of these unhealthy foods at least once a week in school. Among those who did purchase, the modal response was 1 to 2 purchases per week: 68 percent for sweets, 72 percent for salty snacks, and 70 percent for soda. 9

In-School and Total Food Consumption in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9,380. Percentages are unweighted. Figures in the top panel are not conditional on availability in school.

Total Consumption of Selected Foods and Beverages

The child food consumption questionnaire asked about the frequency of overall consumption of specific food items during the past week. Children were asked to include foods they ate at home, at school, at restaurants, or anywhere else. We examine the consumption of two unhealthy items - soda and fast food, and six healthy food items – milk, green salad, potatoes 10 , carrots, other vegetables, and fruits. The percentage of children not consuming any soda or fast food during the previous week was 16 and 29 percent, respectively, with modal responses at 1 to 3 times per week (see Appendix Table A1 ). Among the healthy foods, green salad, carrots and potatoes were consumed most infrequently with nearly half of children reporting no consumption during the past week. The modal responses for the other healthy foods were 1 to 3 times during the past week.

3.2. Junk Food Availability

Detailed information on junk food availability in schools was collected from the school administrators and from children in the fifth grade. School administrators were asked whether students could purchase 17 individual food and beverage items, either from vending machines, school store, canteen, snack bar or a la carte items from the cafeteria during school hours. From these responses, we constructed an indicator variable of junk food availability in school that equals 1 if the administrator reports that students can purchase food and beverage items containing high sodium and/or sugar, including candy, chocolate, baked foods (e.g. cookies), salty snacks (e.g. potato chips), ice cream or frozen yogurt, or sweetened beverages during school hours, and zero otherwise. 11 Based on these school administrator reports, approximately 61 percent of the children had junk food availability in school. For robustness checks, we also considered two alternative measures of availability. The first is based on whether the modal child at each school reports that foods containing sugar, salty snacks, or sweetened beverages can be purchased at school. Based on this measure, about 75 percent of the children had junk foods available. And the second is based on whether the administrator reports any of the following competitive food outlets operate in the school: vending machines, school stores, canteens, snack bars, and a la carte lines. About 60 percent of the sample had at least one competitive food outlet. 12

4. Empirical Approach

4.1. econometric model.

The relationship between junk food availability and children’s BMI in fifth grade can be estimated cross-sectionally using the following linear regression model.

where, BMI iks , denotes fifth grade BMI for child i attending school k located in state s , JF k captures junk food availability in the child’s school, X i and S k are the vectors of individual/family (gender, age, age interacted with gender, race/ethnicity, mother’s education, household income) and school characteristics (private/public, percent minority, enrollment, urbanicity, state/region), respectively, and ε iks is the error term. The child’s baseline BMI (BBMI i ) is included to address potential heterogeneity that can bias OLS estimates such as student demand for junk foods, genetic susceptibility, and sorting. Because junk food availability is collected only in fifth grade, we do not know the length of exposure during prior school years. Therefore, BMI at school entry is the preferred baseline because it is measured prior to any exposure to the school food environment. Finally, since states differ markedly in terms of obesity prevalence in their populations as well as the policy environment geared towards combating obesity, we include state fixed effects (θ s ) to control for state-specific time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity that may be correlated with school food environments and children’s weight.

The parameter of interest in Equation (1) is β 1 . Obtaining an unbiased estimate of β 1 is challenging because the school food environment is not exogenous to the outcomes of interest. Schools that serve high-fat, energy-dense junk foods may differ on many observable and unobservable factors that are correlated with children’s weight and dietary behavior. In particular, the decision to offer junk foods in schools may be influenced by a variety of factors including budgetary pressures, demands of the student population, parental involvement, and state/district policies. These factors could independently influence children’s weight as well. For example, budgetary pressures may induce schools or districts to scale back or eliminate physical education programs, which might increase children’s weight. As a result, coefficient estimates from the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation of Equation 1 would be biased.

4.2. Addressing Endogeneity of Junk Food Availability in Schools

We address the potential endogeneity of junk food availability using instrumental variables. Specifically, we estimate the model in Equations (2.1) and (2.2) using Two-Stage Least Squares.

Equation 2.1 represents the first-stage regression where junk food availability (JF k ) is regressed on the combined school attendance instrument (CS k ), individual (X i ) and school (S k ) characteristics, baseline BMI (BBMI i ), and state fixed effects (θ s ). Equation 2.2 represents the second stage where children’s BMI (or obesity) is regressed on the predicted availability of junk foods from the first stage (ĴF k ) in addition to the common covariates.

We also report results from the reduced form, which regresses BMI or obesity directly on the instrument ( Equation 3 ). These results have the advantage of being unbiased and providing evidence of whether a causal relationship exists in the regression of interest. 13

4.2.1. Instrument

Our sample consists of a single cohort of 5 th graders attending schools with a variety of grade spans. Given that junk food availability is significantly higher in middle and high schools compared to elementary schools, a potentially useful instrument for junk food availability is whether the 5 th grader attends a combined school (defined as the highest grade is seventh or higher) or whether the 5 th grader is in an elementary school (defined as highest grade is 5 th or 6 th ). Our instrument considers only this dichotomy of school type: elementary versus combined. Over 70 percent of our sample attends elementary schools while the remainder attends combined schools usually with grade spans of K-8, K-12 and 5–8 (see Appendix Table A2 ).

Variation in Grade Span in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9380. “Combined” schools are defined as schools with highest grade equal to 7 or higher.

For combined school attendance to be a valid instrument, it must be the case that the school’s grade span has no direct effect on children’s weight except through the junk food environment. One potential concern is that there may be unobserved factors that are correlated with both the likelihood of combined school attendance as well as BMI. For example, it is well known that states differ markedly in the prevalence of childhood obesity. But, states are also likely to differ in terms of factors that contribute to school grade span such as: (1) the size of the school-age population, (2) its distribution within the state, (3) differences in the educational systems and policies, as well as (4) education budgets. Similarly, school grade span can vary across urban versus rural areas (even within states), with the latter more likely to have combined schools largely because of a smaller school-age population. The inclusion of state and urbanicity dummies in our regressions controls for unobserved differences across states and across rural/urban areas that may be correlated with combined school attendance (or grade span, more generally) and BMI.

Another potential concern with this identification strategy is that variation in grade span exposes children to older peers who may influence obesogenic behaviors. Peers, defined broadly, have been shown to influence a wide range of adolescent behaviors and outcomes. 14 However, of particular relevance to our identification strategy is the literature examining a specific type of peer effect, namely, the effect of exposure to older peers due to school grade span.

Several studies have examined peer effects on academic, social-behavioral and substance use outcomes by leveraging variation in school grade span ( Clark and Folk 2007 ; Clark and Loheac 2007 ; Eisenberg 2004 ; Bedard and Do 2005 ; Cook et al 2008 ). Most studies compare students in the same grade who attend middle versus combined schools or middle versus elementary schools . 15 These studies generally find that 6 th or 7 th graders who attend middle school fare poorly compared to those who attend elementary or combined schools. 16 However, we are not aware of any studies that compare children in the same grade level who attend elementary versus combined schools . The exception is Rickles (2005) , whose findings suggest inconsistent effects of elementary versus combined schools attendance on achievement.

Furthermore, there is very limited evidence on the influence of older peers on food choices. Cullen and Zakeri (2004) compared changes in food consumption of 4 th graders who transitioned to middle school in 5 th grade and gained access to school snack bars to changes in food consumption of 5 th graders who were already in middle school. Fourth graders who transitioned to middle school consumed fewer healthy foods compared with the previous school year, but it is not clear whether this was due to the presence of older peers or the change in school food environment.

Overall, the literature suggests that the presence of older peers may adversely affect academic and social behavioral outcomes, but there is less evidence to support effects on their eating behaviors. Nevertheless, if such an effect exists, the potential bias in our IV estimates due to peer effects is likely to be upward. That is, 5 th graders might emulate older peers who are more likely to consume junk foods in school and would therefore tend to be overweight, independent of the school food environment. In that case, an insignificant finding is unlikely to be undermined.

4.2.2. Checks for Instrument Validity

Identification in our IV models relies on the assumption that, conditional on state and urbanicity dummies, the school’s grade span does not influence BMI except through differences in the availability of junk foods. Districts typically determine the grade span at the time of the schools’ opening based on a number of factors including transportation costs, length of bus ride, desired number of transitions, population size, site availability, preferred school size, and likelihood of parental involvement ( Paglin and Fager 1997 ) rather than children’s health outcomes. Changes in grade span over time are possible, but infrequent and similarly-motivated. For example, in our ECLS-K sample, less than 4 percent of the children who remained in the same school between kindergarten and fifth grade experienced a grade-span change from combined to elementary school or vice-versa. While unlikely, it is nevertheless possible that schools may change grade span in response to children’s physical size. Therefore, below we report results from several tests that support the validity of our instruments. These analyses are based on our preferred specification, which controls for the full set of covariates, including state and urbanicity dummies and baseline BMI.

First, we report first-stage estimates of the effect of our instrument – combined school attendance – on junk food availability in school. The first-stage estimates show that combined school attendance significantly increases the likelihood of junk food availability with an F-statistic on the instrument that exceeds 22 ( Table 2 ).

First Stage Regression Estimates of Junk Food Availability in Fifth Grade

Notes: Figures in brackets are robust standard errors clustered at the school level. Other covariates in the model include male, age (months), male*age, race/ethnicity, kindergarten BMI, mother’s education, income, private school dummy, categories for percent minority in school and school enrollment, and state and urbanicity dummies.

Second, since our instrument leverages across school variation we might be concerned that selection into different schools (or communities) might undermine the validity of our instrument. To test for differential selection into combined versus elementary schools, we regress BMI, obesity, test scores, social-behavioral outcomes, and parental involvement measured in kindergarten on combined school attendance in 5 th grade ( Table 3 ). 17 Because these outcomes are determined prior to exposure to school, these comparisons allow us to test for selection. The results suggest that, conditional on observed characteristics, combined school attendance is uncorrelated with pre-exposure BMI, obesity, test scores, social-behavioral outcomes and parental involvement.

Effect of Attending a Combined School on Kindergarten Outcomes

Notes: Each estimate represents a separate regression. Other covariates in the models include age, male, age*male, race/ethnicity, kindergarten BMI (not in model in Columns 1 and 2), mother’s education, income, private school dummy, categories for percent minority in school and school enrollment, and state and urbanicity dummies. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets. For reading, math, self control, and interpersonal skills, higher skills indicate better outcomes. For externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, higher scores indicate worse outcomes. Parent involvement is measured as the sum of the number of times/week that the parent engages in 9 activities with the child (e.g. reading books, talk about nature, do science projects, tell stories).

Third, another concern is that combined school attendance might generate peer effects on BMI, obesity, food consumption and physical activity, independent of junk food availability. We test for the presence of peer effects by regressing these outcomes on combined school attendance using only the sample of schools that do not offer junk foods ( Table 4 ). The results do not provide any support for peer effects on BMI, obesity, food consumption or physical activity. 18

Effect of Combined School Attendance on BMI, Obesity and Related Behaviors Without Junk Food Availability in Fifth Grade

Notes: Each estimate represents a separate regression. All models control for the full set of covariates. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

Overall, the instrument appears to be strongly predictive of junk food availability and there is no evidence that selection or peer effects threaten its validity.

We now turn to our main results, which examine the effects of junk food availability on BMI and other outcomes. We first estimate basic OLS models of BMI and obesity, then augment with state fixed effects and baseline BMI to address omitted variable bias and selection, and finally estimate the IV and reduced form specifications (Section 5.1). In Section 5.2, we examine the sensitivity of our results to alternate measures of junk food availability and various sample restrictions. We also report findings from falsification tests. And finally, in Section 5.3, we describe results from ancillary regressions that explore the potential mechanisms underlying our BMI findings. In particular, we examine in-school and total consumption of selected foods and beverages and the availability of and participation in physical activity.

5.1. BMI and Obesity

Our main results focus on whether the availability of junk foods increases BMI and obesity among 5 th graders ( Table 5 ). Columns 1 and 4 in Panel A show the results of basic OLS regressions of log BMI and obesity, respectively, on junk food availability controlling for child, household, and school characteristics. 19 These regressions yield a statistically significant increase in both BMI and obesity when junk food is available, although the point estimates are small. The inclusion of state fixed effects and urbanicity dummies (Panel A, columns 2 and 5) and then baseline BMI measured in kindergarten (Panel A, columns 3 and 6) eliminates the significant coefficients. The fully-specified OLS models have very small, precisely estimated, and statistically insignificant point estimates.

Effects of Junk Food Availability on BMI and Obesity in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9,380. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets. Other covariates in the model include male, age (months), male*age, race/ethnicity, kindergarten BMI, mother’s education, income, private school dummy, categories for percent minority in school and school enrollment, and state and urbanicity dummies. First stage results are shown in Table 2 .

However, the coefficients from these OLS models may be biased if junk food availability is related to unobserved determinants of children’s BMI. For example, districts with a large population of students at risk for obesity may adopt more stringent nutritional policies that reduce the availability of junk foods in school. In such situations, OLS regressions may show no significant relationship or even a negative relationship between junk food availability and BMI. OLS estimates might also suffer from attenuation bias due to the presence of measurement error in the junk food availability measures.

To address these issues, we estimate instrumental variables (IV) and reduced form regressions using grade span as the instrument: whether the 5 th grader attends a combined school with older peers. 20 The IV point estimates are relatively larger than the OLS estimates, but less precisely estimated rendering them statistically insignificant ( Table 5 , Panel B). 21 , 22 IV estimates from models that do not control for state and urbanicity dummies and baseline BMI (columns 1 and 4) are much larger than those in our preferred specification (Columns 3 and 6), although they are not statistically significantly different from each other. Even if the IV point estimates in our preferred specification (columns 3 and 6) were significant, they would represent only small increases in BMI and obesity of less than one-third of one percent. Hausman tests that check for the endogeneity of junk food availability by comparing estimates from the fully-specified OLS regression with the IV cannot reject the null hypothesis that both estimates are consistent. Therefore, we also report the reduced form estimates of BMI and obesity regressed directly on our instrument ( Table 5 , Panel C). The coefficients on the instrument are close to zero and very precisely estimated, which further confirm the null findings. Given concerns about unobserved heterogeneity in the OLS specifications and the larger standard errors in the IV specifications, the reduced form estimates are preferred.

5.2. Sensitivity and Falsification Checks

We conducted a number of sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of our findings. In this section, we report results from a few key analyses and then turn to falsification tests. 23 These analyses control for the full set of covariates, including state and urbanicity dummies and baseline BMI.

For the sensitivity analyses, we first re-estimate our BMI and obesity regressions with the two alternate measures of junk food availability ( Table 6 ). Both the child-reported measure of junk food availability and the school-administrator reported measure of competitive food outlet show no effect of junk food availability on BMI or obesity. Next, we re-estimate the models with the exclusion of three particular groups that might confound our instrument ( Table 7 ). First, because combined schools are much more likely to be private, our instruments may simply capture variation across public versus private schools students, even though the regressions control for private school attendance. We re-estimate the models on a sample that excludes children who attend private schools ( Table 7 , Panel A) and find no effects on BMI and obesity. 24 Second, even though Section 4.2.2 suggests there are no peer effects on BMI and related behaviors, we test the sensitivity of our results to exclusion of the oldest peers (e.g., grade 9 or higher), but still find no evidence of an effect on BMI and obesity ( Table 7 , Panel B). Finally, children who switch schools for unobservable reasons potentially related to junk food availability may bias our estimates, but estimates from models that exclude children who changed schools between kindergarten and fifth grade confirm no effects ( Table 7 , Panel C). The point estimates from the OLS, IV and reduced form regressions for these sensitivity checks are essentially zero, though less precisely estimated in the IV models. 25

Effects of Alternate Measures of Junk Food Availability on BMI and Obesity in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9,380

Effects of Junk Food Availability on BMI and Obesity in Fifth Grade with Alternate Sample Restrictions

Notes: All models include the full set of covariates. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets. Hausman tests for consistency of OLS estimates could not be rejected in any case. The tests are not reported in the table.

As falsification tests, we examined whether junk food availability in the fifth grade influenced children’s height in the fifth grade and their pre-exposure BMI. Height should clearly be unrelated. And indeed, the coefficients are essentially zero and insignificant ( Table 8 ). Because BMI and obesity in kindergarten is measured prior to exposure to junk foods in school, any effects would suggest unobserved heterogeneity. The OLS, IV and reduced form point estimates are close to zero (though the IV estimates are less precise) and the reduced form specifications also show no relationship ( Table 9 , Panel A). Results for BMI and obesity measured in first and third grade likewise confirm insignificant effects of junk food availability during fifth grade ( Table 9 , Panels B and C). However, because our data do not contain information on junk food availability prior to 5 th grade, these results are also consistent with the absence of junk foods in earlier grades.

Effect of Junk Food Availability in School on Height in Fifth Grade

Note: N=9,380. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

Effects of Junk Food Availability on BMI and Obesity in Kindergarten, First, and Third Grade

Notes: Each estimate represents a separate regression. All models include the full set of covariates. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

5.3. Effects of Junk Food Availability on Food Consumption and Physical Activity

The consistent lack of significant findings for BMI and obesity raises questions regarding how the energy balance equation is affected by junk food availability. While we cannot measure children’s energy intake and expenditure explicitly with these data, we can examine whether junk food availability influences general food consumption patterns and physical activity. Unlike BMI and obesity, the consumption and physical activity measures are based on parents’ and children’s reports . As a result, they are subject to measurement error and consequently produce noisier estimates particularly for the IV models. Nevertheless, they represent our best opportunity for understanding important mechanisms underlying our null finding. Therefore, for the in-school junk food purchases, total consumption, and physical activity analyses, we focus mainly on the reduced form results (though we provide OLS results for comparison). 26

5.3.1 In-School Purchases and Overall Consumption

One potential explanation for our null findings for BMI and obesity may be that availability does not impact overall food consumption. This may happen for several different reasons. First, young children may not purchase significant amounts of junk food in school either due to limited access to such foods or fewer discretionary resources to purchase them. Second, children may not change their total consumption of junk food because junk food purchased in school simply substitutes for junk food brought from home. Or third, children may not change their overall consumption during the day, but simply substitute between junk food consumed in-school and out-of-school.

Unfortunately, we cannot completely separate out these possible explanations because the ECLS-K does not provide us with full information about the daily dietary intake of each child. However, we do have information about in-school purchases of foods with sugar, salty snacks, and sweetened beverages for those children with in-school availability. We also have total (in-school plus out-of-school) consumption of soda, fast food, and a variety of healthy foods for all children in the sample. While not definitive, we can use this information to gain some insight into underlying eating behaviors and lend support for our BMI and obesity findings.

Not surprisingly, our analysis of in-school consumption of junk foods does confirm that children purchase junk food when it is available. 27 The OLS estimates show a significant relationship for purchases of all types of junk food when junk foods are available in schools ( Table 10 , Panel A). And the reduced form estimates show that children in combined schools are between 5 and 9 percentage points more likely to purchase junk foods compared to those in elementary schools Table 10 , Panel B).

Effect of Junk Food Availability on In-School Junk Food Purchases in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9380. Each estimate represents a separate regression. Dependent variables in columns (1)–(3) are dichotomous and capture whether any purchase of that item was made in school during the last week. All regressions include the full set of covariates. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

To provide a sense of the caloric contribution of these purchases, we multiplied the increase in the probability of purchase from attending a combined school by the median number of times that food was purchased among children who purchased at least once, by the number of the calories per unit. 28 Summing across the three junk food groups yields 50 calories per week (7 calories per day) from in-school junk food purchases. The caloric contribution of in-school purchases is much higher (435 calories per week or 62 calories per day for the median child) among children who purchase these foods (as opposed to merely having them available). But even the 62 calories per day represents less than a quarter (23 percent) of the daily discretionary calorie allowance (267 calories) for a moderately active fifth grader. 29

It is possible that children substitute in-school purchases for snacks brought from home or eaten at home either due to satiation or parental monitoring. With our simple dietary recall measures, we cannot explicitly test the nature of potential substitution. We can, however, examine the total intake of soda and fast food consumed in and out of school. Soda is of particular interest because it is the only item for which children were asked about both their in-school and total consumption separately. Fast food, on the other hand, does not correspond exactly to the in-school snack food consumption categories. We find that junk food availability is not associated with significant increases in children’s total consumption of soda or fast foods ( Table 11 , Columns 1 and 2). 30 The OLS regressions show negative, though generally insignificant, estimates. 31 More importantly, the reduced form estimates confirm that there is no relationship between combined school attendance and total consumption of soda and fast food. The fact that children who consume soda and other junk food in schools show no evidence of an increase in total consumption provides support for the substitution hypothesis. This finding is also consistent with the literature, which indicates that only 27 percent of soda and sweetened drinks consumed in elementary schools are bought at school compared to 67 percent brought from home ( Briefel et al 2009 ).

Effect of Junk Food Availability on Total Consumption of Selected Unhealthy and Healthy Foods in Fifth Grade

Notes: N=9380. Each estimate represents a separate regression. Dependent variable captures the number of times the food or beverage item was consumed during the last 7 days. All models include the full set of covariates. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

While BMI is a widely-used outcome measure, it does not capture nutritional changes. Just because children are not gaining weight does not mean that their diets are not adversely affected by junk food availability. If children are consuming junk food in lieu of healthy foods, there may still be concerns about their nutrition. Columns 3 through 8 of Table 11 examine whether children with in-school availability of junk foods consume less milk, green salad, carrots, potatoes, other vegetables, and fruit. The OLS results show no significant associations with junk food availability. Moreover, reduced form regressions also show that combined school attendance does not significantly impact total consumption of the healthy foods. 32

Physical Activity

The absence of any effects of junk food availability on BMI despite the in-school purchases of junk food also raises questions regarding potential compensatory changes in the availability of and participation in physical activity. For example, revenues from junk food sales may be used to fund playgrounds or pay for physical education instructors. Or it may be that combined schools simply offer more opportunities for physical activity due to their scale and organization relative to elementary schools. Another possibility is that parents or children may increase children’s physical activity to balance junk food intake. If physical activity is greater, then we may find no change in BMI or obesity despite an increase in caloric intake.

OLS and reduced form estimates for school- and parent-reported physical activity measures are reported in Table 12 . OLS estimates show no relationship between junk food availability and minutes per week of physical education at school, minutes per week of recess at school, and parent-reported participation in physical activity (measured as the number of days per week that the child engaged in exercise that causes rapid heart beat for 20 continuous minutes or more). The reduced form regressions show no significant effects of combined school attendance on minutes per week of physical education instruction. Children attending combined school have fewer minutes of recess ( Table 12 , Column 2), but slightly higher days of parent-reported physical activity ( Table 12 , Column 3) though neither finding is statistically significant at.conventional levels. Overall, the regressions do not provide consistent evidence that increased energy expenditure explains the null finding for BMI and obesity.

Effects of Junk Food Availability on Physical Education, Recess and Physical Activity in Fifth Grade

Notes: Each estimate represents a separate regression. All models include the full set of covariates as well as the baseline (kindergarten) measure of the dependent variable. Robust standard errors clustered at school level are shown in brackets.

6. Conclusion

Junk food availability is a prominent issue for middle and high schools in the U.S. However, there is also widespread legislation and regulation targeting junk foods even in elementary school ( Trust for American’s Health 2009 ). Young children’s access to junk foods in school is an important concern due to the strong correlation between childhood overweight and obesity in adolescence and adulthood ( Institute of Medicine 2005 ). In this paper, we examined whether junk food availability increased BMI and obesity among a national sample of 5th graders. Those 5th graders who attend a combined school are much more likely to have junk food availability relative to those in elementary school. While estimates from naïve models that only control for a limited set of covariates suggest a positive association between junk foods in school and BMI and obesity, fully-specified OLS models that control for BMI at school entry and state fixed-effects demonstrate no statistically or economically significant relationships among these young children. Likewise, the IV and reduced form models, which are not subject to the potential bias undermining OLS models, confirm the null findings for BMI and obesity. These results are not sensitive to various robustness checks including alternate measures of junk food availability and sample restrictions.

Finally, we provide further support for the null findings by examining in-school and overall food consumption patterns as well as physical activity. The null effects on BMI and obesity cannot be explained entirely by limited access or limited discretionary resources among young children because 5 th graders do purchase junk food when it is available in schools. However, our results suggest that the caloric contribution of in-school purchases is likely to be small. Moreover, we find no evidence of significant changes in the overall frequency of consumption of soda and fast food, which is consistent with children substituting in-school purchases of junk food for that taken from or eaten at home. Alternative explanations such as compensatory changes children’s consumption of healthy foods and in their opportunities for and participation in physical activity do not appear to play a significant role in explaining our null findings for BMI and obesity.

Our findings may have implications in the current economic environment. Half of the states are projecting budget shortfalls that threaten staffing, compensation, extracurricular activities, and policy initiatives such as mandated limits on class size. 33 Many schools subsidize their funding with revenue from the sale of junk foods. In total, elementary schools earn approximately $442 million annually from junk food sales ( Institute of Medicine 2007 ). In light of our findings, certain policy measures, such as outright bans on junk food sales (at least among elementary school children), might appear premature given that they remove a key source of discretionary funds.

While our results are robust, we caution that we could not consider the full range of consequences of junk food availability. Not only are the dietary intake measures in the ECLS-K limited, but we are also not able to examine whether related health outcomes such as diet quality or dental caries are influenced by junk food availability. Also, we are unable to examine the generalizability of our findings to older children who may have greater junk food access and intake both in and outside school. And finally, we could not consider whether exclusive contracts between schools and beverage/snack companies influence students’ food choices in the longer run through product or brand recognition. Additional research is necessary to fully understand the potential consequences before costly legislation is implemented. Such research might also consider the consequences of junk food regulations on school finances and the extent to which these financial consequences could be mitigated by the sale of more nutritious alternatives or through alternative financing mechanisms.

Means by Attendance in Elementary Versus Combined School and by Private/Public

Notes: N=9,380.

Effect of Grade-Span on Academic and Social-Behavioral Outcomes Among Schools Without Junk Food Availability in Fifth Grade

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Eating Research Program, NIH R01 HD057193, the Bing Center for Health Economics at RAND, and the RAND Labor and Population Program. All opinions are those of the authors and do not represent opinions of the funding agencies.

1 Other studies have examined the effects of price reductions, increases in availability, and promotion of low-fat foods in secondary schools on sales and purchases of these foods ( French et al 2004 , 2001 , 1997a , 1997b , Jeffery et al 1994 ) as well as their consumption ( Perry et al 2004 ) within experimental settings and found positive effects.

2 Kubik et al (2003) find that a la carte availability in school is negatively associated with overall intake of fruits and vegetables and positively associated with total and saturated fat intake among 7 th graders attending 16 Minneapolis-St Paul schools. Using the same data, Kubik et al (2005) show that using competitive foods as rewards and incentives is positively associated with BMI.

3 Also, using the ECLS-K, Fernandes (2008) found small positive associations between soda availability in schools and both in-school and overall soda consumption of fifth graders.

4 Their results for the other school policies, pouring rights contracts, and food and beverage advertisements are smaller and less precise.

5 For example, California’s first nutrition policy (SB 677) implemented beverage standards for elementary and middle schools, not high schools.

6 All sample sizes have been rounded to the nearest 10 per the ECLS-K’s restricted-use data agreement.

7 Obesity is defined as BMI greater than the 95 th percentile for age and gender on the Center for Disease Control growth charts.

8 Sweets include candy, ice cream, cookies, brownies or other sweets; salty snack foods include potato chips, corn chips, Cheetos, pretzels, popcorn, crackers or other salty snacks, and sweetened beverages include soda pop, sports drinks or fruit drinks that are not 100 percent juice.

9 To validate the ECLS-K estimates, we examined the Third School Nutrition and Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III), which collected 24-hour dietary recall from 2,300 children attending a nationally representative sample of public schools in 2005. Similar to the ECLS-K, eighty percent of elementary school children reported no competitive food purchases. Among children who made a purchase, the median daily caloric intake from these foods was 185 calories. The SNDA estimate is higher than our ECLS-K estimates (62 calories reported in Section 5) because it includes healthy foods purchased from competitive food venues: for example, milk was by far the most popular item purchased from competitive food venues and yogurt also ranked highly.

10 The “potatoes” category excluded French fries, fried potatoes, and potato chips.

11 The questionnaire separately asked about availability of high- and low-fat options for baked foods, salty snacks, and ice cream/frozen yogurt/sherbert. We include both the low- and high-fat options in our measure, however, in sensitivity analyses, we used only the high-fat versions to construct our school-administrator based measure of junk food availability and found results to be similar.

12 We rely mainly on the first measure of junk food availability because it is the most specific with respect to the quality of foods and because school-level policies regarding junk food availability are frequently set by school principals and staff ( Gordon et al 2007a ). We prefer this measure over the simple dichotomy of having any (unregulated) competitive food outlets because the outlet-based measure does not differentiate the type of foods sold (e.g. milk vs. soda). We also prefer it over the child-report because children who do not consume junk foods are less likely to accurately report availability and because children reported only the availability of any sweets, salty snacks, or sweetened beverages, but did not differentiate specific items (e.g. low-fat vs. high-fat).

13 The value of reduced form regressions has been highlighted by Angrist and Krueger (2001) and, more recently, Chernozhukov and Hansen (2008) formally show that the test for instrument irrelevance in the reduced form regression can be viewed as a weak-instrument-robust test of the hypothesis that the coefficient on the endogenous variable in the structural equation is zero.

14 This literature examines peer effects on a wide range of outcomes including substance use ( Lundborg 2006 ; Eisenberg 2004 ; Case and Katz 1991 ; Gaviria and Raphael 2001 ), crime ( Case and Katz 1991 ; Glaeser, Sacerdote, and Scheinkman 1996 ; Regnerus 2002 ), teenage pregnancy ( Crane 1991 ; Evans, Oates and Schwab 1992 ), discipline ( Cook et al 2008 ), academic achievement ( Hanushek et al 2003 ; Cook et al 2008 ), adolescent food choices ( Perry, Kelder, Komro 1993 ; Cullen et al 2001 ; French et al 2004 ) and weight ( Trogdon, Nonnemaker and Pais 2008 ).

15 However, Clark and Loheac (2007) estimate how substance use behavior of students within the same school who are one year older influences adolescent substance use and find a positive relationship.

16 One exception is Eisenberg (2004) who finds that 7 th and 8 th graders who attend schools with older peers are no more likely to use substances relative to those who attend schools with younger peers.

17 We also examined unadjusted differences in children’s individual, family and school characteristics during the 5 th grade (see Appendix Table A3 ). There were slight differences for some of the covariates. However, there was no overall pattern in the socioeconomic factors that would threaten the validity of the IV approach: that is, some differences imply better BMI outcomes for one group and others worse. For example, in our sample, elementary school students are more likely to be Hispanic and Asian while combined school students are more likely to be white. There are no differences in the share that are Black. Similarly, there is no consistent pattern in maternal education. Elementary school students are more likely to have poorly and highly educated mothers (less than high school, more than Bachelors).

18 To check whether these null findings are merely due to lack of power instead of absence of peer effects, we estimated the same models using social-behavioral outcomes and test scores as dependent variables because the literature finds evidence of peer effects on these outcomes. We were able to identify statistically significant peer effects on social-behavioral outcomes (but not test scores), which suggests that lack of power is an unlikely explanation for the finding of null peer effects on BMI and related outcomes.

19 In all models, we estimate robust standard errors clustered at the school level.

20 In alternate analyses, we used continuous measures of the highest and lowest grades in the school as instruments. In these over-identified models, both instruments had a strong positive association with junk food availability (i.e. increases in the highest and lowest grades available at the school were strongly predictive of junk food availability). This approach yielded qualitatively similar results as the exactly-identified models (available upon request).

21 The IV regressions were also estimated without baseline BMI. The point estimates, first-stage F-statistics, and Hausman tests yield similar results (available upon request).

22 A concern with our IV specification estimated via two-stage least-squares is that our first stage models do not account for the dichotomous nature of the treatment variable ( Maddala 1983 ). Estimates from binary treatment effect IV models confirm that the effects of junk food availability on BMI are neither substantive nor significant (available upon request).

23 We also conducted additional sensitivity analyses not reported here. First, given that we do not know the exposure to junk food in previous grades and given concerns that genetic susceptibility may not have a constant proportional effect on BMI at every point in the life cycle, we controlled for 1 st or 3 rd grade BMI instead of BMI in Kindergarten and obtained similar results. Second, inclusion of controls for school meal participation did not change our findings. Third, we used BMI z-scores as the dependent variable to accurately control for age and gender influences on BMI and obtained qualitatively similar results. Fourth, we estimated quantile regressions to test whether the effects of junk food availability varied across the BMI distribution, but found no evidence for heterogeneous effects. Finally, we also re-estimated our BMI and obesity models separately for each gender. The results for junk food availability mirrored those for the full sample. The OLS, IV, and RF models show no significant effects of junk food availability for either boys or girls. Still we may be concerned about differential peer effects, for example, if girls are influenced by older peers’ concerns about body image, which would bias our IV estimates downward. Restricting the sample to those boys and girls attending schools without junk food availability, the coefficients from the reduced form were nearly identical to those based on the full sample of boys and girls, which suggests that peer effects are not an issue even when regressions are gender-specific.

24 Estimates based only on the sample of private schools yield small and statistically insignificant effects of competitive food availability on BMI in both OLS and IV specifications, although the F-statistics for the instrument in the first stage were smaller (Results available upon request).

25 Hausman tests cannot reject the consistency of fully-specified OLS estimates in any of our sensitivity checks.

26 Although not shown, the IV (Wald) estimates are easily calculated by dividing the reduced form estimates in Table 10 – Table 12 by 0.2 (first stage estimate from Table 2 ). The IV coefficients are never significant in part due to the larger standard errors in the regressions of reported eating behaviors and physical activity.

27 We dichotomize the in-school purchase variables and estimate linear probability models since much of the variation in junk food purchases at school occurs on the extensive margin.

28 The median number of times an item is purchased in school among children who purchase at least once is 1.5 times (1–2 times per week). We assume that salty snacks add 140 calories (typical calories from a bag of potato chips), sweets add 200 calories (typically calories from a candy bar), and soda adds 150 calories. Given the limitations of the consumption data in the ECLS-K, we caution the reader to treat these caloric intake calculations as approximations.

29 Discretionary calories are the difference between an individual’s total energy requirement and the energy necessary to meet nutrient requirements. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the discretionary allowance for a 2000 calorie diet is 267 calories. See: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter2.htm#table3 accessed August 22, 2008.

30 The total consumption variables are not dichotomized because there is sufficient variation on the intensive margin.

31 Negative binomial models with a binary treatment variable to account for the count-data distribution of the total consumption variable and the binary nature of junk food availability produced qualitatively similar results. (Results available upon request).

32 Given the limitations of the ECLS-K’s consumption variables, we again examined the SNDA-III data and found no evidence that combined school attendance increases total caloric intake.

33 “Schools expect budget cuts as economy sours: State problems, decline in property values eat away at district funds”. Available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23116409/ (Accessed February 10, 2009).

Contributor Information

Ashlesha Datar, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA, gro.dnar@ratad , Phone: 1-310-393-0411 x7367, Fax: 1-310-260-8161.

Nancy Nicosia, RAND Corporation, 20 Park Plaza, 7th Floor, Suite 720, Boston, MA 02116, USA, gro.dnar@aisocin , Phone: 1-617-338-2059 x4227.

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Should Junk Food Be Banned In Schools? (Essay/Paper Sample)

Table of Contents

Should Junk Food Be Banned In Schools?

Junk food has been blamed as a major contributing factor to the high rate of obesity and overweight cases in the U.S. and across the world. In the United States, for instance, 20 percent of the population is categorized as either obese or overweight. Schools are a key area in which dieting habits are addressed. Consequently, the debate on whether or not junk food should be banned in school remains vibrant. This paper evaluates the two sides of the debate and finds that a ban decision is gratuitous and counterproductive.

Given the high number of people who die annually from complications associated with obesity, having an obese rate of 1 in 5 people (20 percent) is alarming. Some of the key arguments raised in support of banning junk food are explained below. First, poor eating habits are often developed at early ages in a child’s development. Such habits ultimately result in major health consequences including obesity. Given that children spend most of their daytime at school, banning junk food can be an effective foundation for children’s healthy habits.

Besides, junk food has high-calorie content and low nutrient value. When school children are allowed to continue buying and consuming junk food from school cafeterias, they believe that it is healthy. They have no information that it is harmful to their health. It is incumbent upon relevant authorities to take charge and ensure that children grow up to become healthy, responsible adults.

However, the arguments raised against the banning of junk food are more convincing. First, key decisions affecting any school are to be determined by school boards, not the state or national government. As school boards are influential and have absolute control over major decisions touching on the welfare of learners, the decision to ban junk food must be left to individual school boards. A collective national decision would be counterproductive and seems to sabotage the authority of school boards.

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Besides, the definition of junk food is controversial. Many people consider junk food to be soda, pastries, pizza, potato chips, and other high-sugar, high-fat meals. Other high-fat foods such as cheeseburger are often doubted as junk food. Surprisingly, pizza, cheeseburger, soda, and fried chicken fingers are the food that most school cafeterias and vending machines serve. Before thinking of banning junk food, the government first needs to clarify what junk food is.

In addition, the school system is designed to teach children about the making of choices. Therefore, when the government or some other authority makes an across-the-board decision to ban junk food, the children who form the consumer base are unable to make decisions as expected. Such a move would be a way of taking away children’s ability to choose what they want to eat. The best approach is to teach children about what healthy food is, and allow them to independently choose what food to consume. Teaching healthy choices is the better option. In fact, when teachers emphasize physical exercise, students can remain healthy. It is all about putting the decision-making power in the hands of the consumer, not taking it away.

In addition, junk food sold in vending machines enables schools to raise money. Thus schools are able to raise the money needed in undertaking such activities as the purchase of relevant school supplies and furniture. What is more, most parents allow their children to eat junk food at home. Consequently, banning such food in school vending machines and cafeterias would have undesired effects. From home, children would still carry junk food to school and consume it. This way, the school would not be benefiting financially.

In conclusion, both parents and teachers have a role to play in bringing up a nutrition-conscious and health-conscious child. The most powerful tool to help a child grow up effectively is education. Educating the child would help him to make the right decisions in life. As discussed in this paper, junk food should not be banned in schools as that would be counterproductive and ineffective.

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Pros and Cons to Decide if Junk Food Should Be Allowed in Schools

Should junk foods be allowed in schools? Let's try to get some pointers in with this following piece. This write up will give you a brief idea of the pros and cons related to this issue, which will help to clear your thinking.

Should junk foods be allowed in schools? Let’s try to get some pointers in with this following piece. This write up will give you a brief idea of the pros and cons related to this issue, which will help to clear your thinking.

Did you know?

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to establish nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools. This will offer healthier snacks to children, while limiting junk food.

Fast foods … Junk foods … Processed foods. All these have taken permanent residence in our lives. They’re tasty, hassle-free, and some of the best ‘anytime’ snacks that always have at least a couple of takers. No wonder then that they are so popular. While junk foods are present everywhere in society, it remains a bone of contention whether these should be allowed in schools or whether there is a need for banning them. Why does this question arise? We shall find out more in the following Buzzle article. Just as every issue has both pros and cons, so does the issue of allowing junk foods in schools, and that is why it becomes important to discuss it in greater detail.

Given that this type of food has gained a large appeal in the masses, there are bound to be several benefits of the same. How do these benefits fit into allowing junk foods in the school scenario is what we will focus on in this section.

Quick and Easy

One of the main advantages of allowing junk foods in schools is that if on a particular day a child does not carry a lunch bag then he does not have to remain hungry and can easily have something to satiate his hunger. Along with that, it is one of those easy-to-eat foods that can be eaten on the go. Therefore, it saves a lot of time. Most of these foods are also quite cheap, such that it becomes economical to purchase them.

Change in Routine

Having junk food as a change in routine instead of making it a part of one’s staple diet is considered alright. It does not have major effects on a person’s health either if this approach is used and they are consumed once in a way. The problem only arises if it is being consumed regularly.

Cooking Healthy

There are certain junk and processed foods that are made largely unhealthy by loading them with oils and unhealthy ingredients like excess sodium (found in salt) in order to achieve a longer shelf life. Instead of that, if foods like potato chips or juices are made available in the school cafeteria, there will be no need to depend on unhealthy choices from outside. Thus the same taste and thrill of having junk foods can be experienced without having to give in to unhealthy choices.

While the pros mainly focus on the fact that it is a convenient, easy-to-eat, and a tasty affair, there are several negative impacts that have been listed. Let us go into a little more detail in this section.

Unhealthy Ingredients

Junk foods are loaded with sodium, salts, and sugar so that they can have a longer shelf life. All these ingredients are very harmful to the human body because they cannot be broken down and therefore they build deposits in the body. Along with that, they also prevent the absorption of important minerals and nutrients, thereby directly affecting a person’s immune system and metabolism, among other functions.

One of the main effects of fast foods is that it leads to obesity. With the reduced physical activity in this day and age, these unhealthy snacks add to the problem even more. They do not allow the food to be broken down, and therefore cause layers of fat to be deposited in the body. Along with that, junk foods normally use a lot of carbs, salts, and sugar, and more importantly, are devoid of any dietary fiber or other essential nutrients―all these factors lead to more obesity.

Other Health Issues

Along with an increase in obesity, there are several other health issues that begin to develop as well, because there are hardly any or no nutrients that are being consumed through this food. Along with depositing fat cells in the body, these foods also alter the rate of metabolism, thus bringing with it scores of other problems. Other than that, processed and junk foods are also known to alter the workings of the bodily hormones and thus lead to hormonal imbalance and an addiction to these foods. With constant and regular consumption, these foods could also lead to insulin resistance in a person (which could ultimately lead to hyperglycemia and Type 2 diabetes), heart problems like high blood pressure, liver and kidney problems, and a weakened immune system.

Affects Performance

The sugar and sodium content starts off a very unhealthy cycle in a person’s system. The minute he/she has a snack, there is a sudden burst of sugar and the person gets a spike of energy making him overactive and hyper. As the effects of the snack begin to fade, the person becomes sluggish and less aware. Until the time he takes another snack. Thus, he begins to depend on the snacks to get energy boosts. This, not only sets off a dependency on the snacks, but a non-availability of the same causes low energy levels, lack of concentration, and lethargy. All of which have a direct effect on the student’s performance.

It is also argued that the younger kids in schools might not know the effects of consuming junk foods in high numbers and might continue to gorge on them because of their ready availability. Therefore, it poses a threat to begin with.

These were some of the important arguments that were put out as an important part of the topic ‘junk food in schools – pros and cons’. Based on both, one can now draw their own conclusions whether junk food should be allowed or banned in schools. But more than that, it becomes important that one provides their kids with healthy and balanced foods and informs them of the disadvantages of consuming high doses of junk food. When kids are educated, they will make healthier choices for themselves and will not be tempted to have junk food simply because it is available in the school premises.

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School tuck shop changes needed to keep kids healthy and help them learn, nutritionists warn

Junk food can cause health problems, learning difficulties and even change the way children’s brains develop, nutritionists warn as they push for an overhaul of school tuck shops

Isla from East Ivanhoe Primary, which has improved its canteen menu. Picture: David Caird

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READING LEVEL: ORANGE

Junk food sold in school canteens is adding to poor mental* health, learning difficulties and even changing the way children’s brains develop, leading nutritionists* warn.

Nutrition Australia is pushing for healthier primary and secondary school tuck shops, warning they could be setting children up for years of poor health.

Nutrition Australia is concerned schools are reinforcing* the poor diets children have at home. In partnership with the Victorian Government, it has launched the free FoodChecker website to help schools check the nutritional content of the food they sell and improve their menu. Nutrition Australia is a non-government, non-profit* organisation that works to promote good nutrition and healthy eating.

Charlie, Isla and Akshayan’s school Ivanhoe East Primary has overhauled its school canteen to make it healthier. Picture: David Caird

The push comes after Deakin University research found diets high in junk food impacted* on areas of the brain connected to mental health as well as memory and learning.

Prof Felice Jacka, director of Deakin’s Food and Mood Centre, said the diets of children and teenagers is very clearly related to their mental health and it was vital to step in at school canteens because mental health problems can start before the age of 14.

“If these unhealthy food products are normalised* by being there during school days it sends all the wrong sorts of messages,” Prof Jacka said.

“The quality of young people’s diets is relevant* to their mental health and also their ability to learn and remember. So it is critical* we get this right.”

Prof Jacka said eating sugary foods at school lunch breaks can have an immediate* impact on concentration and energy in the classroom.

Bulimba State school won the Queensland tuckshop award last year, when Amelia, Nate and Ella were in prep. Picture: AAP

However, longer-term concerns were revealed in a 2015 Deakin study that found those people with diets high in junk and processed foods had smaller hippocampus regions of their brain — the area controlling learning, memory and mental health — than those with healthier diets.

Nutrition Australia’s Margaret Rozman said schools must stop presenting students with unhealthy options in their tuck shops.

“To have healthier food and drinks can actually help students learn and concentrate better,” Ms Rozman said.

FoodChecker is at foodchecker.heas.health.vic.gov.au

EXTRA READING

Learning to love fruit and vegetables

Plan for compulsory PE at school

Rotten truth about kids and their teeth

Australian food labelling laws begin

mental: relating to the brain

nutritionists: nutrition professionals

reinforcing: strengthen or support

non-profit: not set up to make money

impacted: affected

normalised: made to seem normal

relevant: closely connected

critical: absolutely essential

immediate: right now

LISTEN TO TODAY’S STORY

1. What is the new website called?

2. What is the website for?

3. What did the Deakin study find?

4. What can eating sugary food do to students?

5. What is the hippocampus and how is it affected by junk food?

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. Create a healthy snack menu for your class.

Your menu must contain at least five different foods. Your snacks should be healthy, easy to eat while you are in the playground and yummy! Design a poster advertising your snacks.

Time: Allow 20 minutes

Curriculum Links: Health and Physical Education

2. Extension: Do you think that the government should tell school tuck shops what foods they are allowed to sell? Outline your opinion on this question and write arguments (points, ideas and facts) that make your opinion as convincing as possible.

Time: Allow 25 minutes

Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY

After reading the article, with a partner, highlight as many connectives as you can find in pink. Discuss if these are being used as conjunctions, or to join ideas and create flow.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you happy with food offered at your school’s tuckshop, canteen or lunch-order service? Is it healthy enough? How would you improve it? Explain your answers using full sentences.

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What Students Are Saying About Making School Lunch Healthier

New nutrition guidelines will mean less salt and sugar in school meals. Teenagers share whether they think students will embrace the changes.

A student forks up some food from a red tray divided into compartments. There is also a small open carton of milk.

By The Learning Network

School meals will soon contain less salt and sugar under new nutrition guidelines released by the Biden administration. School cafeterias will have to cut sodium levels 15 percent by the 2027-28 academic year. And for the first time, schools will need to limit the amount of added sugars in cereals and yogurts, starting in the 2025-26 academic year.

While many parents and nutritionists applauded the stricter federal regulations, some school lunch administrators fretted that the results will be less tasty to students, reducing consumption and increasing waste.

We asked teenagers for their opinions: Should schools serve healthier meals if it changes students’ favorite foods?

They weighed in on the federal guidelines and whether “healthy” really means “less tasty.” They also shared about their experiences of eating in the school cafeteria, including what works well and what could be improved.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation on our writing prompts this week, including students from schools in Dallas , St. Louis and Seoul .

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

Many students supported the push for more healthful school lunches.

I feel as though we are being served foods that aren’t good for us because we don’t have all the food groups within the meal. Some students have health problems and need to be served healthier meals but the regular school lunches are all fats and carbs just blended in and quite frankly aren’t appetizing. Yes, some schools can’t afford a better lunch system but we still shouldn’t be served that unhealthy stuff. It’s not good for athletes or people with health problems. Schools can magically afford all this technology and all these fancier things in the school but we can’t afford a more healthy food option or better yet, something that actually tastes good. Me, personally, if we had a healthier school lunch I would eat it every day.

I think the lunches at our school are pretty satisfying. There is healthy and delicious Korean food. There is always a dessert for the students. However, I think the school should change the school lunch to a healthier meal because students need to eat a lot of vegetables, which are essential nutrients. Also, the school should provide more delicious dishes and different kinds of side dishes. The best solution is to have multiple options and dishes for vegan and vegetarians. I think junk food should not be part of a school lunch menu. School lunch is important since it hugely influences the students’ day.

— K K, south korea

Compared to other countries’ meals, America’s school lunches are not the most nourishing. Take a standard Japanese school lunch as an example. A balanced meal should have a source of carbohydrates, protein, dairy, and a source of vitamins and minerals that can be found in an average vegetable. A usual school lunch in Japan contains white rice, meat or fish, soup, a salad, and a bottle of milk. A quality, balanced meal such as this should be the standard for school lunches. Of course, this doesn’t mean that less healthy options should be out of the picture, as, who doesn’t want a treat now and then? But judging from my school’s lunches, which can be found as cheese pizza and spaghetti with meatballs, the concern for nutrition is understandable.

— Malaya, Philadelphia, PA

I think there should be a reduction of the amount of salt and sugar schools put into foods. Personally, I don’t even think many kids are considering it when they eat the food, as some people just eat school lunch every day. That being said, reducing the salts and sugars might make the foods taste better, as I find many foods to be over-sweetened and over-salted. Not only would making a change be healthier, but it might even be an improvement to the current menu.

— Livia, Greenbelt MS, Maryland

Others argued that making school food healthier will mean fewer students will eat it.

I believe that the more objectively correct option for student wellbeing is to make the foods healthier, but personally, I wouldn’t want that. Firstly, I don’t even eat school lunch, so my opinion on it is probably different from other people’s opinions … I think that more people might pack lunches if healthier meals that may not taste as good replace the current school lunches. Also, from what I can see, a lot of food gets thrown out, left behind, or just scattered all over the place. Replacing good (sometimes) tasting meals with foods that tend to not taste as good might increase the amount of food not eaten. In conclusion, healthier meals are objectively better for students, however, students may not prefer the healthier options.

— Max, J.R. Masterman School

Students will not embrace the change. Sadly if you take away the foods that taste good and swap them for foods that are healthy but don’t taste as good, there will be some dissatisfaction. I do think it’s important for students to have healthier diets but they might not think the same.

— Tanae, Greenbelt Middle School

I think that enforcing healthy eating habits at school is incredibly important, but flavorless green beans or corn might not be the best solution. For me, I don’t think that the fact that we are served healthy foods is an issue — I dislike many of the foods because they are simply not appetizing. I often enjoy salads at restaurants or at home, but the school cafeteria just seems to make everything taste worse. Judging by the amount of food left in trash cans around the steaming hot cafeteria, it is clear that my peers may feel similarly. Many people I know simply wait until they arrive home to eat, rather than indulge in the school’s delicacies. Snacks from home or vending machines are common ways to avoid cafeteria food. Healthy food is a good idea, but more needs to be done to make it both appetizing and energizing for the student body.

— Calla, Julia R. Masterman, Philadelphia, PA

Some suggested a middle ground, one in which nutritious options exist beside student favorites.

I have seen some school lunches some days in which I wonder how the school is able to serve considering how unhealthy it is. I put a big emphasis on healthy nutrition, so these types of lunches are unfortunate for me. However, we are kids and I do think we could be treated to things that are unhealthy at times. Making school lunches healthier could also build healthier habits for students when they are by themselves at home. This is because they could possibly get used to the health foods they are consuming everyday at lunch and make them want to crave healthier foods at home. Overall, I think it’s a good idea to give students healthier foods, but I don’t think it should be 100% healthy.

— Brendan, Baker High School

It really depends on the student body. Different people have different preferences. The best solution would be to have multiple options, including vegan, halal, healthy, and junk food for students. However, this can often lead to food waste. Junk food is unhealthy, but most students like it and food isn’t wasted a lot. On the other hand, not a lot of teenagers choose to eat vegetables and fruits. Food waste would be a huge problem if schools decide to serve healthier menus, and even worse, fresh fruit and vegetables are way more expensive than junk food and fast food, which not many educational districts can provide for.

— Jimin, Seoul

Students either look forward to school lunch or despise it, both breakfast and lunch: the school offers various options for one to choose from. However, within the options, they are not the best in a healthy manner. Therefore schools should consider serving healthier food to an extent. The reason is that students may complain about the lack of flavor, low salt, etc but in the long run it would be more beneficial to one’s health. A well-balanced mixture of a lunch tray that serves both nutrients and salt would be amazing and satisfy students.

— Valeria, John H. Francis Polytechnic High School

Schools should serve healthier food choices but not remove any of students’ favorite food options. Healthier food choices should increase since approximately 19.7% of children are obese. With the food provided, schools should set the demonstration of a healthy diet however not remove students’ favorite food choices. With healthier food choices for their bodies, the students will have the nutrients and the energy they need to learn since with unhealthy food, the children can have stomach aches and a lack of energy, which would affect them in their education, so I believe they should serve healthy options for students.

— Jose, Sun Valley

Several said teaching students about nutrition and letting them have a say in the menu would help them make healthier choices.

I have a mixed opinion about this topic. While I do believe promoting better health and nutrition among students is important, respecting students’ preferences is also important. Schools can introduce healthier foods slowly and involve students in the process. By finding ways to make healthy foods appealing and enjoyable, schools can help students develop a taste for nutritious foods they will carry into adulthood.

— Anngelin, Dallas, Texas

If I were responsible for keeping food waste to a minimum, step one would be to listen to students and serve what they like. There’s no reason to throw the food away if it is good. It’s impossible to cater to every student, so why not make sides available? If people, for example, like the breadstick that comes with the macaroni and cheese, why not give students the option to order a side and nothing else? This also works if someone hates the breadstick but loves the macaroni. Giving students options is a great way to prevent unnecessary food waste.

— Tate, Julia R. Masterman, Philadelphia, PA

I feel that throughout my school many food ends up getting wasted because of the lack of attention brought to people with regards to healthy eating. Because so many fruits and vegetables get thrown out on the daily at my school, many people are getting fueled on the unhealthy salt and sugar-filled items that are getting processed in places that aren’t good for you. If there were to be teachings about why it is so important to keep fruits and veggies in your day to day diet, it can really benefit you a lot. Also, lots of people around the world can afford healthy food items, so if schools were to start to make meals more healthy, it could really help not only American obesity but also help people get new healthy eating habits.

— Maddie, Connecticut

Educating students about the benefits of a low-salt, low-sugar diet and introducing flavorful alternatives could help promote acceptance of the new guidelines. Ultimately, it will be important for schools to engage with students, gather feedback, and involve them in the process of creating nutritious and appealing menu options to encourage healthier eating habits.

— Nebeyu, Greenbelt Middle

Students also told us what’s working in their own school cafeterias.

As a student attending public school, I was made aware of how the federal government regulated schools to follow specific nutritional guidelines, such as the healthy eating plate, which depicts a perfectly balanced meal consisting of ½ vegetables and fruits, ¼ carbohydrates, and ¼ protein. Most of the schools I attended followed this guideline. However, after switching to private schools, I noticed that their meal plans were more lenient, as they had more freedom to do what they wanted … At my school, our salad bar is very successful. Students can customize their salad with fresh fruits and vegetables that create a great food source that brings the body energy. Therefore, schools should have a balanced meal that includes healthy options, without eliminating all of students’ favorites. I personally think the healthy eating plate is a good guide to see if your main lunch source is pulling from all food types and energy sources.

— Sophia, St. Louis

I believe eating healthy, even if it is forced, is important. My previous school food, for example, had many options, including Asian, western, a salad bar, and different bread options. This helped students choose what kind of food they wanted. For breakfast and dinner, they balanced the sodium levels by giving under-seasoned food for breakfast if the dinner was going to have salty or sugary food. To help parents and students know how much sodium they are taking that day, they posted pictures with the sodium levels for every meal.

— Melinda, Korea

And what needs improvement.

I believe schools can improve on healthier food options. There are students who buy lunch everyday, some who don’t have a choice in this, so having higher quality food for them would be beneficial. I’ve seen plenty of questionable food in my cafeteria and they’re usually the healthier options. No student actively wants to eat a rotting salad or a fruit cup that has been sitting out for a few hours; it’s gross. So these usually get thrown away. Burgers, pizza, fries, etc. are always going to be served in school cafeterias. Those foods could also be improved with their high sodium levels. But, if schools offer good quality, healthier options, students may actually choose them. Overall, school lunches are tolerable in their current state, but I’m sure there can be steps taken to improve them.

— Ren, New York

To be honest, I am not completely satisfied with the food at my school. In our dining room, so-called “healthy food” is presented but, in my opinion, it cannot be called healthy. For example, let’s take the same chicken Caesar salad, which has the same fried patty that is served in burgers. The fruits that are presented are often of very questionable freshness. Also, compared to unhealthy food, the amount of healthy food is simply scant, so most students choose standard items: such as pizza, burgers, French fries and nuggets. I have nothing against it, but I don’t think it’s a good diet for every day, especially if you have lunch in the third period like me. I haven’t had lunch at school for a long time and I just take snacks from home, however, considering that we spend eight hours at school, I am always very hungry in the last periods. I wish my school had more healthy food options, even if it tasted worse than regular food.

— Sabrina, Hinsdale, IL

I believe that schools should continue to have healthy food options but improve on what they have. Some of the healthier options my school provides are fruits or small salads that are close to rotting. I think that the food that they give most times just ends up in the trash because the food is about to go bad and people don’t want to eat fruits that have gone brown or lettuce that is soggy. I also believe that if our school has to provide healthy options to students, they should also serve vegan/vegetarian options. Our school does have salads but they almost always have chicken or cheese in them and they aren’t nearly big enough to fill someone. I believe schools should provide free healthy options for students but improve the quality of food that they serve.

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Should the Sale of Junk Food in School Canteens Be Banned

This article argues that the sale of junk food in school canteens should be banned in order to improve students’ behavior, reduce litter, and promote healthy eating habits. Junk food is defined as food with low nutritional value that is often packed with chemical additives, which can negatively affect students’ behavior. Additionally, junk food is often wrapped in plastic packaging, which contributes to litter in schools. Schools have a responsibility to take care of their students’ health and should promote healthy eating habits through their canteen policies. By removing junk food from school canteens, students will have access to healthier options, and their desire for junk food will decrease.

Junk nutrient is defined as nutrient points which are by and large considered to be unhealthy and have low nutritionary value. However. many kids and adolescents enjoy devouring debris nutrient because it tastes good. Nevertheless. debris nutrient is normally outed as one of the chief causes of fleshiness in immature people. Some school canteens sell debris nutrient among other things to pupils. As such. it is believed that the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens is banned in order to better student’s behaviour. cut down litter in schools and it is so the school’s duty to take attention of students’ wellness.

First. the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens should be banned in order to better students’ behaviour. Smith ( 2005 ) asserted that many additives are present in debris nutrient which causes behavioral jobs in kids. such as hapless concentration and hyperactivity. Besides. responses from The Food Show ( 2005 ) affirm that cut downing unhealthy nutrients intake among kids can better their behaviour. The responses on the show besides indicate that debris nutrients are frequently packed with chemical additives which can trip behavioral jobs. This is farther testified by a school which removed debris nutrient and soft drinks from their school canteen. It was found that the pupils became unagitated in category after tiffin ( The Food Show 2005 ) . Therefore. students’ behaviour can be improved by censoring the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens.

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Another ground why the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens should be banned is to cut down litter. Most debris nutrient is wrapped in plastic packaging which needs to be disposed of afterwards. Unfortunately. many irresponsible pupils discard debris nutrient packaging in assorted topographic points alternatively of waste bins ( Lin Tran 2005 ; Smith 2005 ) . Harmonizing to Smith ( 2005 ) . litter is a jeopardy to safety and wellness. increases costs and is bad for community’s image. Schools which have reduced the sale of debris nutrient in their canteens have witnessed a cut down in the litter produced ( Smith 2005 ) . When schools’ litter jobs are reduced. school groundskeepers have more clip to pass on care undertakings which benefit their schools alternatively of picking up litter ( The Food Show 2005 ) . Hence. the sale of debris nutrient in school canteensshould be banned in order to cut down litter.

The following ground prohibition the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens is that schools have the duty to take attention of their students’ wellness. Harmonizing to Lin Tran ( 2005 ) . the nutritionary value of nutrient eaten by Australian kids has been continuously dropping over the past three decennaries. Therefore. schools should educate immature people about good nutrition and advance good feeding wonts through healthy nutrient policies ( The Food Show 2005 ) . Healthy nutrients in the canteen can reenforce the messages that pupils receive in the schoolroom about good nutrition. Besides. soft drinks should non be sold in school canteens because the dental wellness of Australia’s primary school kids is worsening ( Lin Tran 2005 ) . Indeed. Health Foundation ( 2005 ) pointed out that many of the popular bite nutrients including biscuits. french friess and beefburgers have low nutritionary value. This farther reinforces the ground for school canteens to halt selling debris nutrient.

In decision. the sale of debris nutrient in school canteens should be banned in order to better student’s behaviour. cut down litter in schools and it is so the school’s duty to take attention of students’ wellness. Once pupils discover healthy and delightful options to debris nutrient in school canteens. their desire for it will bit by bit decline.

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Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity

Nancy Nicosia

1. Introduction

2. Background and Literature

3.1. Dependent Variables Measuring BMI, Food Consumption and Physical Activity

Junk Food Purchase in School

Total Consumption of Selected Foods and Beverages

3.2. Junk Food Availability

4. Empirical Approach

4.2. Addressing Endogeneity of Junk Food Availability in Schools

4.2.1. Instrument

4.2.2. Checks for Instrument Validity

5.1. BMI and Obesity

5.2. Sensitivity and Falsification Checks

5.3. Effects of Junk Food Availability on Food Consumption and Physical Activity

5.3.1 In-School Purchases and Overall Consumption

Physical Activity

6. Conclusion

Acknowledgments

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What Students Are Saying About Making School Lunch Healthier

Many students supported the push for more healthful school lunches.

Others argued that making school food healthier will mean fewer students will eat it.

Some suggested a middle ground, one in which nutritious options exist beside student favorites.

Several said teaching students about nutrition and letting them have a say in the menu would help them make healthier choices.