Junk Food In Schools

[Alex252]

I saw something on the news today about the junk food situation in elementary/high schools. Seems some kid from Ontario blamed the school vending machines for his weight problems. Well now thanks to his great thinking all the pop/vending machines are gone in elementary and they are starting on high schools. I think it is ridiculous! They plan on putting fresh food vending machines with yogurt apples etc. But how will they maintain it? They cant, they will have to change the machines every few days. And its not like kids these days dont bring the junk food from home. Well i was wondering if any of you guys agree/ disagree and why. The kids have the choice to make about their own food its not as if they were told they had to get it. Sure you can blame advertising but its not as if a kid saw an advertisement for beer hed get it. Also if this enforced what do they think they are going to do about local restaurants McDonald's etc. At my school its not even a 10 min walk to the nearest one.

 

[beach_bum]

I think it's a great for the elementary schools....by high school they should be able to make an informed decision though.  I was actually shocked when I first when to my daughter's school when she started pre-school and saw a pop machine sitting there right beside the class room!  For the last couple of years I have listened to more begging and pleading for a soda!  Of course, now it has juice in it and she still wants it.  Turns out in her case (I guess 'cause she's so young) it's the "cool" machine and not what is in it.

 

[Crazy_Eyes]

It wouldn't make a difference in my school either, we have a small store right across the street, as well as other places 7 eleven, mc donalds etc, all with in walking distance. Besides....the vending machines provide me with lunch most days :dontpanic:, and i'm not fat and blaming the school for MY CHOICE

 

[arctictern]

I think it's a great idea. I hate seeing these fat civvies eating chocolate bars for lunch. It sickens me.


Sorry if this oftends anyone but it's how I feel about it and I feel very strong about it. If it were up to me I'd ban fast food restaurant's and junkfood in schools.

 

[patt]

well maybe schools should look at the way they do there gym programs..i remeber back when i was in elementry school we did alot of paperwork as our 'gym' class.

 

[arctictern]

well maybe schools should look at the way they do there gym programs..i remember back when i was in elementry school we did alot of paperwork as our 'gym' class.

The paper work I did in gym class was important, it taught us about health and how to live a active healthily life style.

 

[patt]

The paper work I did in gym class was important, it taught us about health and how to live a active healthily life style.

ya but sitting in a class room doesnt give that type of motivation as it would if u were out playin sports and talkin about how ur body is functing  while you do the sport

 

[winchable]

Blood brilliant,
This is long overdue
It might not solve the problem, but it will certainly go a long way in reducing the severe obesity of the younger generations.
If anyone has not seen the movie "Supersize me" yet they should, it has a part in it about healthy lunches at school that will make anyone think it's a good idea.

The vending machines are a start, but they've got to work on lunch menus too. When I was in highschool, the healthy choices were simply not there, there was no option to make an informed decision, you were limited to pizza, poutine, egg salad sandwiches and a greasy fried breakfast (though, that is the English way so I don't complain)

Like I said though, not the absolute solution but definetly a start in the right direction.

 

[winchable]

It's the pop and frenchfries that will do it, and you'll find most nutritionists will say that fast food more than once a year is a bad thing.

It's interesting how alot of younger people take good health for granted, growing up in the fast food generation they(We I suppose) don't think for a second that Mcd's once or twice a month is far more than we should realistically be having because we've been bombarded with it for so long it's become such a socially acceptable thing.

 

[Crazy_Eyes]

I get plenty of exercise, Gym class is mandatory subject till grade 11 for me, and my school is a campus so i do a bit of walking in between schools for my classes, Gym class was made mandatory because of the obesity problem, however since my area runs on semester systme we only get it for half the year...much to my disapointment, anyone else have gym class as a mandatory course? Those of you not in high school what do you think of this idea?

 

[Northern Touch]

I don't know if you saw the program on Tv, but they actually had some people fromthe school board film a TV show in my moms school (library to be exact) talking about this exact subject. 

I can't see vending machines being the reason for someone being fat and I find that just as an excuse.  A kid who eats too muhc junk food needs to get it from somewhere and a vending machine is not the ONLY place.  I bet most of the junk food problems start at home when the kids bring those crappy lunchables instead of a real sandwhich like I was always used to eating.  My parents practically condemned all that sotre bought "fake" food.  guess its the Italian heritage.

The gym programs don't really do muhc to help either , but I think the activity level for younger kids has gone donw in the past couple years.  when I got home from school I would rush outside to play street hockey or something.  Now a days, these kids have homework in grade 3 and are doing less and less activities out of school. 

 

[winchable]

We had a class called "Physically Active Lifestyle" which was mandatory for half a semester.
..meh, it was kind of catered to the less active..

Gym Class on the other hand, which isn't mandatory at any point, is great!!
That was when we were kings.
We invented about 40 sports, all of which somehow involved hitting each other, kicking and throwing balls at a net..though they varied slightly.
A rough and tumble period so full of testosterone, wild animals would shy away from the school.

 

[Crazy_Eyes]

hehehehe...Murder Ball > fun stuff, never seen so many broken bones/noses/ bleeding ppl in one class

 

[Pieman]

I rented the documentary 'Super Size Me' the other day. They had a small section on having healthier lunches in schools.
After watching that show, I am all for it. Every time I see a pop can  I think about that guy who drank three of those 1 gallon containers of pop a day, and turn diabetic and went blind for a while. An extream example, but if kids are exposed at an early age, they will just keep using it when they are older. They will know better when they are older, but if it is already part of their life style then it is a harder sell.

Man, after I watched that movie, I don't think I will eat at a fast food joint again unless I am desperate. I think we all know it is bad for you, but I don't think most people realise just how bad it is.

 

[foerestedwarrior]

I am appaled that these kids blame the school, McDonalds, everyone but themselves and thir parents. If you are fat, shut up and start walking until you can run, then run. It is TOO easy!! I dont care about anyone getting offended, cus i bet that 99% of peopel here are in good to great shape. The general public always complain and shift blame to someone else, they dont want to take action or responsibility for their actions.
In my old high school gym was only mandatory for grade 9, and if you could rememeber what the rules to sports were for the tests you could pass the class. I think in schools they should have mandatory PT tests, if you pass you dont have to take gym that year, if you dont then you take gym, screw making someone feel bad, tell it like it is!!

 

[Alex252]

I agree with patty about the gym. Its always being taken away ifs someone was acting up or something. You'd never see a teacher take away a math period for someone being bad. When i was in elementary we only got 2 half hour periods a week doing gym. Thank god im in highschool where the gym is a bit more "challenging".

 

[arctictern]

I am appaled that these kids blame the school, McDonalds, everyone but themselves and thir parents. If you are fat, shut up and start walking until you can run, then run. It is TOO easy!! I dont care about anyone getting offended, cus i bet that 99% of peopel here are in good to great shape. The general public always complain and shift blame to someone else, they dont want to take action or responsibility for their actions.
In my old high school gym was only mandatory for grade 9, and if you could rememeber what the rules to sports were for the tests you could pass the class. I think in schools they should have mandatory PT tests, if you pass you dont have to take gym that year, if you dont then you take gym, screw making someone feel bad, tell it like it is!!

I completely agree.

 

[Chewy]

Although I am not a member of the Canadian Forces yet, My reason follows this thread Exactly.
Last march (yes now I know I left it to late) I showed up for my application tests, and passed all of the except one. The physical my biggest problem. It was at that point that I started kicking my self for eating all those bags of chips in grade 8 and later all those french fries and poutines in grades 9 & 10. When I showed up at high school I had money to burn and all this food so I started eating, Now I'm kicking my self for eating it all because now running and playing foot ball is damn hard but come January I will be back in the recruiting office, and I WILL PASS EVERYTHING!!  

 

[foerestedwarrior]

If you have passed everything except for the PT test, unless it has changed, I beleive it is only a week you have to wait. I failed mine the first time. It was the push up thing, i could do like 25 wide armed push ups, but when i sucked in my arms, i could only do 18, 1 short, but i just did close grip push ups every day for 2 weeks, and i did 25 for the test, too easy.
Like i said with teh PT testing in schools, its like the new curriculum, peopel will compain for a few years, but if it is left thee in a few years it will become normal to have it there, and you will start having very health, fit peopel, thus saving alot of money on healthcare, so more mony can be alloted to the military, see it helps us too. Healthy, fit peopel work better, overall which helps every employer save money, I dont see a down side to this.

 

[Bograt]

I personally think this is ridiculous. Why is government taking steps to mitigate our own personal responsibility. For instance, banning pitbulls because they are dangerous. Regardless whether they are dangerous or not, it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that they meet the expectations of society. It is likewise for junk food. Regardless of whether it is unhealthy, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their children are healthy. Obesity is the result of inactivity.

Unfortunately its all about rights and not about responsibility. Government legislation is about perception. The gun registry is another perfect example. Does it make the average person feel safer? Maybe, but does it actually do anything. No.

We will still have fat kids and menacing dogs so long as people neglet their individual responsibility