Should schools regulate their student's lunches?

Should schools regulate their students’ lunches? This is a question that has stirred much controversy among parents, school workers, and the students themselves. For those who do not know what this means, I will explain this and various pros and cons.

If schools regulate students’ lunches, this means that select foods would be banned and confiscated if spotted. School cafeterias would also be banned from selling these foods. This way, healthier options would be encouraged and enforced. Some schools may even force all students to buy lunch at a school cafeteria.

On one hand, students would definitely benefit from these healthy changes. Many students have irresponsible parents that pack them whatever they want; let it be soda, candy, or chips as one of their four square meals. Instead of these junk foods, they would be served healthy portions from the five food groups, including a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. This, in the long run, could prevent many students from childhood obesity, while teaching them how to make healthy choices at the same time.

On the other hand, these healthy choices may result in students thinking that there is no need for exercise if they eat healthy. If this happens we may end up with more obese adults later on. Our current generation will eventually find jobs and realize there is just not enough time for healthy eating, or forget those healthy habits taught at school. In addition, the new system will force students with less money to buy costly cafeteria meals every day.

However, that may not be a problem. Students with less money may only have to pay around $20 a month, which is less than a cent a day. Similar lunch programs already exist in schools who have children that live in poverty. Except this may end up as a problem. How? Well since the students are getting food for such a cheap price, the school has to contribute some money for the ingredients of the food. This means that they will have to lower the funding for more important subjects, such as math, language arts, and science.

My opinion on this matter is that the school should not have to take place of a parent for every single student. It is the parent's job to ensure their kids are living healthy lives, and the school's job is to teach. Therefore, I believe schools should not regulate students’ lunches.


My sources
http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/04/26/the-state-has-no-place-in-the-lunch-bags-of-a-nation/
The state has no place in the lunch bags of the nation
2012-05-08
http://voices.yahoo.com/should-federal-government-regulate-5920212.html?cat=4
Should the Federal Government Regulate Your Child's Bagged Lunch?
2012-05-08