Junk Food: Should be banned from schools

Junk Food: a popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients high in everything else - in particular-calories and sodium. Moreover Junk foods are often highly salted/sugary, high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. Foods commonly considered junk foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, sweet desserts, fried fast food, and sugary carbonated beverages. Many foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods. Junk food can be appealing for a variety of reasons, including convenience, price and taste. For children, who do not always understand the health consequences of their eating habits, junk food may appear especially appetizing. However, regularly consuming of fattening junk food can be addictive for children and lead to complications like obesity, chronic illness, low self-esteem and even depression, as well as affecting their academic performance and extracurricular activities.

Students lay the foundation for a bright future of a nation. In children one of the major results of continuous consumption of junk food is childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is associated with a variety of adverse consequences like Type-2 Diabetes, sleep apnea, gallbladder disorders etc. Kids

who are addicted to such junk food can have an unhealthy future. Concerns about the long term health consequences of being overweight has ignited a question against the school policies that make junk food available to students in school. Everyday students almost spend 7-8 hours in schools. It’s highly important to inculcate healthy eating habits in children from a very young age. So, Schools must put a ban on unhealthy food items in schools. Instead schools can offer healthy and nutritious food for the better and healthy future of children. If we try to inculcate the habit of healthy eating in schools the children will automatically develop the habit of healthy eating.

If schools provide a healthy menu in cafeterias then we can’t be sure that children are eating correct. It’s the duty of parents also to try and indulge their children in healthy eating habits. Rather than just giving them money to eat whatever they feel like, parents must make sure their children make good choices with outside food. Home being the first school of children must create a healthy eating environment. It’s a myth that junk food tastes better, we can make home cooked food taste much better than junk outside by simple method available on net. So, together the schools and the parents can make sure the future of their children is safe and healthy.