Junk Foods Should Not Be Sold In Public Schools Vending Machines

Junk foods form a more significant part of the diet of most students in both private and public schools but most public schools. The junk foods are simple to make by most vendors, and they are always affordable to most of the students in the schools (Grech et al., 2017). They have a characteristic of being highly sweetened and most always contain free fats and more cholesterol. The junk foods are often had less nutritional values despite making the children full very fast. Most of the vending machines with junk foods contain things like deep fried chips, carbonated drinks, sweets, chocolates, flavored milk, sports drinks, biscuits, and popcorns among others.

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The junk foods should not be sold in public schools vending machine due to their effects on the health of young adults in schools (French et al., 2013). Most of the junk foods are highly processed, contain energy but have fewer nutrients. Most of them contain high amounts of salts, sugars, and other food additives as well as carbon components that are not good for the development of the children. These aspects have contributed to the rise in cases of obesity in most of the school-going children (Krisberg,2014).The increasing weight comes about when the free fat and the increased sugared things are ingested, but digestion fails or is lowered. Therefore, the components of the junk foods are converted to fats and cholesterol, which then fails to be further, turned leading to obesity.

The effects of the junk foods are also felt with the increased abnormal growth rate of children (Grech et al., 2017).The cells of the body tend to reproduce very fast. Though the children may look healthy, they are at risk of developing many diseases starting from cardiovascular to diabetes and too many more others. There are also variations in the amount of money of different goods that are sold within schools. Some of the snack and beverages sold in the vending machines in public schools are readily presented, but they are costly to some student (Grech et al., 2017).Not every student can afford the things being sold. Therefore, the margin between the rich, poor and middle-class students can be felt magically among the students during their meal times or breaks. The public should not allow junk foods to be sold in the vending machines in schools to be able to bridge this gap. Public schools management team should come up with regulatory policies on what to be sold in the vending machines, canteens as well as the school cafeteria. In addition to the plans, the prices of the things sold should be considerate so that at least every child would be able to buy stuff at almost the same price. The social class effect can also affect the performance of children in schoolwork.

The junk foods also contain added sugars, and they are high in saturated fats. (Krisberg, 2014). Most of the junk foods sold by the vendors are sweetened with food additive. When these sugars are taken into the body, they increase the risk of dental caries and cavities in children most the children in preschool and lower primary school have suffered the loss of teeth due to several causes by dental caries. Some who have not lost their teeth suffer from sore throats cases. The bottled water is lacking fluoride in most of the cases. Therefore, it is not also good for the children's dental health.

The highest percentage of the junk foods are made of chips which accounts for 75% and while snacks form the remaining portion. (Krisberg, 2014). Several types of research show that fries and other deep-fried snacks contain cancer triggering chemical called acrylamide. Therefore, children who eat junk foods from the vending machines are at higher risk of developing cancer and another disease as compared to children who eat healthy foods. The healthy foods include things like vegetables, fruits and whole grains and nuts. They are considered good for health and have high nutritional value as compared to the junk food.

The junk food disaster affects not only students but also their teachers (Grech et al., 2017). Most of the teachers are not often provided with the school meals. Therefore, most of them usually opt for the already made junk foods compared to going and spending time and money on right foods in the cafeteria. They always prefer fast meals to save time since they have tight schedules. The administration should do away with the sale of junk foods in the vending machine or within and around school environments (Krisberg, 2014). When such policies are put in place, break times will be added to the teachers so that they can get enough time for meals and rest before their next classes. They equally need proper nutrients for good health for them to be productive in their work.

When the vending machines are banned from selling the junk foods, the teachers should also be the first people to stop taking junk foods and unhealthy foods (Krisberg, 2014).When the teachers do so, they act as role models to their students. Also, most of the schools that have their teachers eating rightly have their children doing the same. Their performances in all aspects of schoolwork and extra-curriculum activities are heightened. The discipline of the students is also always good. The vendors should also be stopped because when they are allowed, students tend to skip their meals and there is inadequate time management during the breaks and meal times. (Krisberg, 2014). They also pose difficulties for the teachers to give the expected health education to the students since some of them may be the one taking the junk foods alongside their students. The availability of the snacks and other junk foods also conveys to the students that the foods are readily available and accepted in their diets.

The junk foods expose the consumers to be at risk of developing heart conditions and vascular disorders that may be fatal. (Krisberg, 2014). They are also at risk of developing diabetes. These can be brought about by the increased levels of sugar and saturated fats in the bloodstream. Most of the affected children and youth are overweight. They are always lazy to exercise, and this makes them be even more at risk. Most of the children who snack a lot tend to lose their appetite for foods when they reach home. (Grech et al., 2017). Most of the times when they fail to eat, their parents advise them to take the same thing they took while at school and the cycle remains the same. They rarely get the required body nutrients per day for their growth and development. They are then exposed and are always at high risk of contracting diseases since their immunity is also lowered in most of the cases.

Conclusion

In conclusion, vending machines sales should be banned in public schools for the good of everyone in the schools. If banning is not easy, they should be given regulations on what to sell to students and what not to offer. The foods they should be allowed to sell should be of more nutritional value than the value that junk foods have. The menus should include fruits, fruit juices, and vegetables. The schools should provide balanced meals for their students. If the school is unable to cater for every student, they should then come up with an affordable cafeteria which every student can be able to afford and eat healthily. Although the junk foods sold in public school vending machine are unhealthy to the students, their sales are more advantageous to the entrepreneurs since they make any profits.

Works Cited

French, Simone A., et al. "Food environment in secondary schools: a la carte, vending machines, and food policies and practices." American Journal of Public Health 93.7 (2013): 1161-1168.

Grech, Amanda, et al. "Are products sold in university vending machines nutritionally poor? A food environment audit." Nutrition & Dietetics 74.2 (2017): 185-190.

Krisberg, Kim. "Unhealthy Foods Bulk of School Vending Machine Choices." Medscape News (2014).