Why Schools Enforce Lunch Standards
Many district schools have recently banned junk food and vending machines from schools. By banning vending machines from schools, the schools believe that they can encourage kids to eat healthy food and reduce childhood obesity. However, banning vending machines in schools may not control obesity in children.
A recent study by the University of Illinois says that banning vending machines from schools does not help students make healthier eating habits. Students are likely to find alternative sources of purchasing snacks. For the ban on vending machines and junk food to be effective, subsequent measures need to be implemented (Kubik et al. 2015). Therefore banning vending machines would not solely help curb obesity among school-going children. Schools use the money collected from vending machines to cover for some school costs like field trips, school supplies, and other school activities. Banning vending machines means that the commissions earned in vending machines will be lost; schools will have to sacrifice a lot to meet the costs of some activities. Students may also be required to pay extra fees to cover for the lost funds.
Students are free to choose what they eat and banning vending machines and junk food in schools does not entirely prevent them from accessing junk food. Students are likely to buy their snacks and drinks and bring them to school if they could not purchase them from the school vending machines. Therefore, banning vending machines from school would be a useless policy to implement. Vending machines provide snacks and drinks at a lower price. Many students do not have a lot of cash and even the underprivileged children can access the snacks at an affordable price. Having vending machines at schools can also be helpful to kids who forget to carry lunch from home. Children do not have to go back home or the store to buy lunch or snacks. Banning vending machines can be a disadvantage to underprivileged children or those that tend to forget their lunch.
Vending machines can also be used as a tool of fundraising in schools for either school activities or external uses such as charity programs. Fundraising for charity programs using vending machines can be a great way of involving children in community activities and establish a team effort to achieve something (Larson et al. 2016). Therefore, vending machines can also have an educative purpose and providing snacks and drinks to children at the same time. Having vending machines banned from schools undermines this crucial function. Vending machines provide drinks and snacks that can fill in some nutritional gaps. Some snacks are packed with vitamins, starch, and other nutrients, which can help fill some nutrition deficiencies in children. Having snacks at school is a luxury that some students do not enjoy at home; therefore, having snacks at school can be a motivating factor for students to attend school.
In conclusion, banning vending machines from schools does not prevent childhood obesity. Vending machines are important in schools because they help raise funds for school activities, purchasing school supplies, or raising funds for community charity purposes. Banning vending machines from schools does not prevent students from eating junk food because children can still buy them from stores or bring snacks and drinks from home. Instead of banning vending machines, schools should provide the students with healthier options and educate them on the risks of junk food. Banning vending machines alone cannot prevent obesity since many factors contribute to obesity, therefore implementing only one measure cannot eliminate the problem
References
Kubik, M. Y., Davey, C., MacLehose, R. F., Coombes, B., & Nanney, M. S. (2015). Snacks, beverages, vending machines, and school stores: a comparison of alternative and regular schools in Minnesota, 2002 to 2008. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(1), 101-105.
Larson, N., Davey, C., Hoffman, P., Kubik, M. Y., & Nanney, M. S. (2016). District wellness policies and school-level practices in Minnesota, USA. Public health nutrition, 19(1), 26-35.