Junk food is killing us – Let’s ban it from school!
As he walked into the lunchroom, he immediately went by the salad bar and
stood in line. He ordered a coke, a bag of chips, and a candy bar. He left the
cafeteria, sat outside under a tree with his friends, and began to eat. Sadly, this
student is a typical student at schools around the United States.
Every day
students choose to eat unhealthy lunches filled with calories, sugar, and taste, but
no healthy benefits. Selling junk food in schools must be banned because they
have few benefits and hinder learning.
First of all, since schools teach health classes, they should practice what
they preach. Schools should sell only foods that promote good health. They should
sell the foods they teach students to eat a balanced diet including fruits,
vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains. Junk food has very few health
benefits. They are high in calories and low in nutrition. It’s incomprehensible that
schools would want to sell unhealthy foods.
Most junk food is also high in saturated fat, so schools should not sell it.
Several studies indicate that saturated fats can cause weight gains as well as
contributing to heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol levels. They also
contain a great deal of salt, sugar, and additives, all ingredients that have been
linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Sugar alone has been
linked to tooth decay, increased blood clots, diabetes, colorectal cancer, and
childhood obesity; many additives have been linked to cancer. Both sugar and
additives have been linked to hyperactivity. A study by the independent watchdog
the Food Commission found that additives in popular junk snacks can cause
hyperactivity and temper tantrums. It is ironic that schools are promoting foods that
trigger behaviors that hinder learning.
Soft drinks alone are bad, and soda machines should be taken out of
schools. They are simply “liquid candy,” filled with sugar and empty calories. Today
teenagers drink twice as much soda as milk, whereas twenty years ago teens
drank twice as much milk as soda. In addition, according to Nutrition Action
Healthletter the average 13 to 18- year-olds consume more than two cans a day.
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They are spending $54 billion dollars a year on soda, more than twice what they
spend on books. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for the Public
Interest, said, “Many teens are drowning in soda…It’s become their main
beverage, providing many with 15% to 20% of their calories squeezing out morenutritious foods and beverages from their diet”. Soft drinks have been linked to
childhood obesity, tooth decay, and caffeine dependency. Soda machines should
be filled with healthy drinks that provide calcium and other vitamins: juices, milk,
and water.
All these junk foods give rise to alarming statistics which are being revealed
almost daily. In the past 25 years, the percentage of overweight children has
nearly doubled from 7% to 13%. U.S. spending on hospital costs related to
childhood obesity has tripled in the past two decades. Type II diabetes (adult
onset) is now appearing at an increasing rate in children. Obesity across all age
levels has reached epidemic levels. Thus, the evidence speaks for itself.
Unfortunately, selling junk food in schools has become big business for the
schools at the expense of the health of their students. Some schools argue that the
money from selling these products often promotes sports and other healthy
activities. Some schools that have replaced junk food with healthier snacks and
drinks have found that their revenue has not dropped at all. When faced with
healthy choices, students still spend the money. Is the revenue from junk food
worth a child’s health? What monetary value should we put on students’ health?
All schools in every state should ban junk food and provide healthy
alternatives. They have banned smoking because it is unhealthy. Now it is time to
ban junk food as well. Schools should never compromise their students’ health.
Schools teach students that they should always make good choices. It’s time that
they practice what they preach.
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Key
Hook – Grabs the reader’s attention
Context – Background information the reader must know.
Focus Statement – States your position clearly, then very briefly summarizes your
arguments
1st Supporting Paragraph – Specific details that supports your Focus Statement.
2nd Supporting Paragraph – Specific details that supports your Focus Statement.
Counter-argument raised – Acknowledges why someone may not agree with your
position.
Rebuttal – Politely states flaws in counter-argument or “other” stance
Conclusion – Has two parts:
1. Restatement of Focus Statement in different terms.
2. An “Aha” – further comment that leaves the reader thinking
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