Do schools have a responsibility in childhood obesity?

Question

I once heard someone say that school cafeteria menus are contributing greatly to the obesity epidemic; such as pop and chip vending machines, and substituting healthy choices for French Fries to make lunches affordable. Others say the parents should have control, regardless of what the school sells for lunches. Opinions?

Answer

As a sub, ever school I’ve been to, the lunches have been healthy. They are gross, but all have healthy options. One district requires kids to get a veggie, fruit, and so on. Also, anything “unhealthy” is all reduced fat and essentially sugar free. That is the way it at all of the schools I’ve taught at.

Answer

Kids eat one meal per day 5 days a week at school. Everything else they eat comes from home.
So no, I don’t think the school is responsible for chubby children. 
Also, every school ive ever worked at has had pretty healthy and well balanced lunches.

Answer

Maybe if people quit cutting the school funding they can afford better meals and healthier options. Because whenever something needs done it’s always the kids that suffer 😑😑😑

Answer

There could definitely be some changes to help, but I don’t think schools are responsible for it. 
I’m a teacher at a high school and our chip/pop vending machines are turned off during the school day - they can get water and Powerade. After school the rest of the machines are turned on with pop and snacks in them. The menu has to have fruit and veggies, but Bosco pizza sticks count because the sauce gets counted as a veggie. Those types of high sodium things should be removed and more options for salads, fresh fruit and veggies should be added.
It would also help if politicians stayed out of education and let schools have more say. Our foods/nutrition class as well as parenting and sewing all got cut because the students don’t have enough space in their schedules by the time they finish their required classes. So now we offer very few elective classes, which the students need some classes that they have more interest in and can benefit long term. A gardening class would be awesome. We used to have a baking and business class where the kids would basically run a bakery at the school, but that’s gone now. In the 80s/90s there was a shop class that paired with local contractors and every two years they would build a house from start to finish, but that’s gone too. Less testing and more recess for younger students would also be better for teaching healthy habits!

Answer

i don’t think it’s correct to think that school lunches are responsible for childhood obesity. it’s a multitude of factors, most likely not solely due to a single thing. the last thing i would start to point the finger at would be a single meal out of the day. i do think they could be healthier, or at least what i remember of them, definitely could be different today.

Answer

I think it starts with education. I feel like a LOT of people don't know things like proper portion sizes simply because, here in the US anyway, the amount of food that people is served is so large. Then there's also a lot of added sugar in foods here in the US, which really shouldn't be allowed to be added imo, but that's a different conversation. Anyway, I would MUCH rather the education system be more hands on and replace a required class that not everyone will need (like calculus or requiring English every year when you do the same exact thing as every other year) with at least a semester of food education. In the class it should teach basic gardening skills, proper portion sizes, how to use more fresh foods in cooking, etc. just a healthier and more natural way of eating.

Answer

Perhaps if the FDA didn't classify ketchup and tomato paste as a fucking vegetable  for the sole purpose of counting it in school lunches, we'd get somewhere. That and making schools have to feed kids on ~$1 per student per meal. It just encourages them to buy the cheapest most processed crap and then they HAVE TO have vending machines to provide some revenue. 
I don't think it's the schools responsibility, it's definitely the parent's, but having terrible nutrition at school certainly isn't helping. Especially in some schools in poor districts where kids get two meals there and it may be the only food a kid gets that day.

Answer

Oops read it wrong. It begins at home

Answer

as a high school student, at least the food in my school does, we have coffee every morning provided by wawa complete with syrups and sugar. we have so many vending machines filled with soda and candy. oh and French fries count as a veggie on the free lunch program. let’s not forget all the cookies and ice cream. we do have a sald bar but again when you have the choice of pizza, pasta, wraps, and burgers who’s really is gonna pick a salad. last year or a few years ago we had the healthy lunch program but the food company we partner with ( dont wanna say the name of), didn’t make enough money so the company changed it to this, i pack my lunch everyday but i have friends that are on the free lunch program and they don’t really like the food options they can get because there just as unhealthy.

Answer

Vending machines should be banned in schools and cafeteria has an obligation to provide fresh + healthy food ONLY, no junk food whatsoever!!

Do schools have a responsibility in childhood obesity?

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