B. Thesis: Improving the nutritional context of school lunches can make a difference in health of America’s youth.
II. Background
A. Current meal policies at public schools.
B. Public Health statistics extent of problem.
III. Can changes in school menus resolve the issue?
IV. Change eating habits
C. Conclusion
Abstract
This research project investigates how parents, teachers and school administrators could work together in creating an eco-friendly school environment. While the concept eco-friendly may have an ecological connotation its adaptation to the school surroundings in terms of meals fed to our children could be interpreted way beyond this perspective. Consequently, this research investigation assumes that by improving the nutritional context of school lunches can make a difference in the health of America’s youth.
Public Health: Working Together to Create an Eco-Friendly School
l. Introduction
An eco-friendly school relates to the term eco-system. Scientists have defined an ecosystem as community of living organisms inclusive of plants, birds and humans. They further advance that non-living organisms can also create an ecosystem. Ecosystems function symbiotically meaning that they co-exist in an effort to provide better outcomes through working together. When perceived outside of ecology, ecosystems are defined as a network of interaction among systems/organism. Importantly, with specific reference to this research project, ecosystems are controlled both internal and external factors (Kerbs, 2009).
Consequently, this investigation into improving nutritional context of school lunches would encompass evaluating a network of skills in bringing this project into reality. Inevitably, the school board, parents teachers, students, nutritionist would be involved in this process. Nutrition has emerged into a national concern since obesity among children is an epidemic in society. Due to this health dysfunction children cannot achieve their educational goals because they are ill and often miss school. Therefore, if the school feeding program could assist families through parent education and healthy meals America’s children health would be greatly improved. Improving the nutritional context of school lunches can make a difference in health of America’s youth.
II. Background
There have been proposed rules regarding public schools meal policies. The final rule encompassing current policies require schools to adapt the age/grade groups K–5, 6–8, and 9–12 in planning menus for the NSLP as soon as this rule in SY 2012–2013 is implemented. Precisely, these represented in the policy age/grade groups show the predominant school grade configurations. Besides, they are in alignment with IOM’s Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) groupings. However, this rule while executors are privileged to improvise, this must be within the confines of the age/grade groups. Schools are permitted to use one meal pattern for students in grades K through 8 in the food quantity specifications outlined for groups K–5 and 6–8 overlap (Federal Register, 2012).
When improvisions are made the school is expected to continue maintaining the specific caloric value, saturated fat requirements, and sodium standards for the designated age/grade groups receiving the school meals. This concept is illustrated in the following example:-
Example:
All students belonging to the grade groups K-5 and 6-8could be served the same lunch choices stipulated for the vegetables, fruit, meat/meat alternative and milk components since requirement per quantity are the identical and do not overlap. Likewise, for grades K -5 (550-650 average calories per week) and grades 6–8 (600–700 average calories per week) overlap. As such, a school nutrion scheduled would be in alignment if students are served both grade groups within the 600–650 average caloric weekly range. Also, trans and the saturated fat requirement are the same for grades are identical (Federal Register, 2012).
Ever since the introduction of this school nutrition program advocates have been making recommendations for improvement to meal plans requirements. Consequently, schools must adhere to requirements contained in these polices in order to continue in the program. The nation’s children ought to be exposed to proper nutrition if not at home in the school environment and creating an ecofriendly atmosphere would enhance the achievement of better health for America’s youth.
Sample school meal menu
(Federal Register, 2012).
The 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) applying height and weight measurements discovered that 17% of America’s children adolescents are obese. The specific age range is from 2-19 years old. Importantly, the prevalence among adolescents 12- 19 has trebled in the last 24 years during 1976 -2000.
(Levy-Navarro, 2008).
Consequently, in an attempt to reverse obesity rates among school aged children and adolescents the Department of Agriculture (USDA), has offered solutions after discovering that ‘less than 40% of children and adolescents meet the U.S. dietary guidelines for saturated fat and 85% of adolescent females do not consume enough calcium’ (Public Health law Program, 2014, p. 1). Further, a Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by CDC, in 2009 revealed that just 22.3% of high school students eating vegetables and fruit five or more times daily during a given week cycle (Public Health law Program, 2014).
Obesity seems to be the gloomy surface for enforcing nutrition programs in schools. However, the eco-friendly approach towards improving obesity rates among Americans encompasses embracing other social entities internal and external to the school environment, which might be affecting receptivity and effectiveness of the school nutrition program. While surveys are being conducted and health promotion responses made in addressing obesity; rates continue to rise (Levy-Navarro, 2008).
It would appear that, the nutrition school program still has not been serving the intended purpose in restoring healthy eating habits among American children. Importantly, further studies have shown that the problem of obesity is American parents are obese and therefore, children inculcate the same unhealthy eating habits becoming products of an obesity cycle. Obesity in children is a sequel to obesity in adults. Hence, this is the reason for an eco-friendly approach towards improving the nutritional context of school lunches believing that it will make a difference in health of America’s youth (Keller, 2008).
III. Can changes in school menus resolve the issue?
This author understands that, obesity and reformation in acceptance of school meals cannot be achieved in isolation, but stake holders indirectly responsible for the nations’ nutritional health must be involved in this project. Studies have revealed that while schools through public health policies have mandated serving nutritious meals at all grade levels the concern is whether menu suggested changes would not make students who are eligible for these lunches eat them. All students do not qualify and those that, throw away meals, purchase fast food from outlets located in close proximity to their schools. From a nutritional standpoint these meals are not beneficial to their health, but perhaps, addictions have forced them to prefer these meals instead of school lunches (Davis & Carpenter, 2009).
A study conducted by Drs. Brennan Davis and Christopher Carpenter (2009) confirming that schools which were in close proximity to fast food restaurants students were consumed less fruits and vegetables; drank more soda and obese. They concluded that exposure to unhealthy food environments contributes to poor nutritional practices in children and adolescents increasing incidences of obesity. Consequently, if school meal polices are to be effective policy maker must return to the policy form designing regulations limiting the distance of fast food restaurants distances to schools ( Davis &Carpenter, 2009)
Offering better choices on menus while a valuable recommendation based on the present study results regarding school meals acceptance it cannot be effective unless all children eat school lunches; fast food restaurants are removed from close to schools and parents are willing to work on creating an eco-friendly school in relation to children eating the lunches provided for them.
Portion control has always been of great significance when planning menus, but when children leave the school environment and enter the home when no parents are there no one can control how much neither what they eat. This is the reason for adopting the eco-friendly approach at school meal intervention in addressing childhood obesity. The involvement of parents, stakeholders in the capacity of fast food restaurant owners; social policy administrators and school superintendents is mandatory.
Quality versus quantity in this sense does not reflect only what is written on a menu, but also the quality of social control offered in changing the school meal concept from food that does not have fast food taste and deemed not enjoyable. It is either that those fast food restaurants provide better menus when operating with school environments or have them removed to locations away from schools. No one can escape the truth that America is a fast food society and inevitably students are addicted to fried chicken and potatoes without vegetables/fruits in their diet. Mashed potatoes; juice/milk and baked chicken does not taste as good when fried chicken is so close and he/she has the money to purchase it (Davis &Carpenter, 2009).
Therefore, social control must be executed to have students eat the meals provided by school menus and ineligible students have opportunities of purchasing healthier meals when at school. The truth is that students who can afford to buy their meals are not compelled to purchase the one provided on school menus when they have alternative choices (Davis &Carpenter, 2009).
IV. Change eating habits
Designing food pyramids that reflect a wider variety of fruits and vegetables in my evaluation would benefit the child only at school and if parents consent to implementing modified food pyramid strategies at home. Also, polices ought to be implemented regulating fast-food restaurants’ menu, which must come into alignment with an eco-friendly school.
(Davis & Carpenter, 2009).
Along with these measures the project ought to involve parents and students learning to cook healthier foods through cooking classes. It may be necessary to include home-economics in the school curriculum. In this way students would learn to cook and know what foods are best for their growth and development. A very useful strategy would be garnering parents involved in planning of menus used in this cooking education curriculum. Food is culture and it would offer opportunities for parents to supply examples of their specific food culture to be added to menus.
V. Conclusion
Policy makers must first begin their advertising campaign by gaining fast food manufactures’ support. They must be encouraged to advertise a more eco-friendly menu, which is environmentally safe. Formerly exercise was part of the school’s curriculum. Now with cuts in health care and education costs it would appear that social services forgot their basic responsibility to the American citizen. Since health care is now a business; education has become that too. Parents must pay for extracurricular activities. Despite these constraints schools ought to have a special exercise program for students. Parents pay taxes.
Many surveys have been conducted informing policy makers of the effectiveness of school meals programs. From this research report; more work has to be done in sensitizing parents regarding the real obesity problem in this society. They should be told the truth concerning diseases which can cut their children’s life span in half if measures are not taken to limit obesity.
After health promotion programs have been established a re-evaluation survey ought to be conducted to find out the impact of the program on obesity and changes in food culture. United Nations Children’s Funding could be accessed for funding in projects where improving children’s health is targeted. Already this fund has been made available to millions of children across the globe, especially, Africa and underdeveloped nations of the world.
References
.
Davis, B., & Carpenter, C. (2009). Proximity of fast food restaurants to Schools and Adolescent
Obesity. American Journal of Public Health. 99(3); 505-520
Federal Register (2012). Rules and regulations. Retrieved on March 7th, 2014 from
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf
Keller, K. (2008). Encyclopedia of Obesity. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, Inc.
Krebs, J. (2009). Ecology: The Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance (Sixth
ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
Levy-Navarro, E. (2008). The Culture of Obesity in Early and Late Modernity. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Public Health Law Program (2014). School Nutrition. Retrieved on March 7th, 2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/winnable/school_nutrition.html
