Since schools were first acquainted with junk food, students have started to purchase and consume unhealthy foods uncontrollably. Junk food is any food which is perceived to be unhealthy and of low nutritional value. Junk food can also cause health problems, obesity, allergies, and school lunches at schools are also a major reason for why most kids eat junk food in the first place. As a way to overcome these problems, convenience food in schools should be banned.
Consuming junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people. According to an article from Cardiosmart, “It’s estimated that the number of McDonald's outlets increased by 20% globally in the past decade. Experts worry about the impact of increased fast-food consumption on heart health. In total, 2.5% of participants were diagnosed with heart disease, stroke or heart failure during the one-year study. After analysis, researchers found that individuals living within roughly a half-mile from a fast-food restaurant were significantly more likely to develop heart disease than those living further away”. This shows that many people who eat fast food may soon be diagnosed with a variety of medical problems. Since eating junk food can lead to a variety of health problems in people it would be even worse if they were allowed into schools. Processed foods can also impact many people in some ways that may be more harmful than others. The article, ‘10 Reasons Schools Should Ban Junk Food’ states, “When you provide plant-based foods and proteins, it is much easier to determine what is in the food. Processed foods contain a lot of additives. Some of these are chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes. Allergies, especially nut allergies, have been on the rise in recent years. Scientists are unclear why this increase in allergic reactions have taken place. Schools often issue allergy questionnaires to parents when kids are planning to eat meals at school. It is often difficult to discern what is safe for kids with allergies, due to the many ingredients in junk food. A packaged cookie or chip may contain traces of nuts”. This evidence proves that since prepackaged foods contain many ingredients it is problematic to differentiate what elements are healthy for kids with allergies. It is also sometimes hard to figure out what is safe for kids with allergies due to the many ingredients in junk food. If junk foods were allowed in schools, then many students would be at risk of consuming chemical preservatives and cancer-causing dyes and also enduring allergic reactions.
In addition, obesity is also a major problem that is caused by the amount of convenience food consumed most of the people in the world. According to an article from scholastic, “America is facing a crisis because of our eating habits. Sixty million adults (20 percent of the population) are obese. Nearly 300,000 people die each year from complications associated with being obese or overweight”. This proves that poor eating habits developed at an early age have real health consequences throughout life. School is where children spend most of their time, and it is where people should lay the foundation for healthy habits by banning junk food. School lunches that are provided to students are also a major reason why students consider junk food over healthy food. The quality and proportions do not last kids throughout the day, so they eat junk food to sustain themselves. According to a New York Times article, “Consider that in France, where the childhood obesity rate is the lowest in the Western world, a typical four-course school lunch (cucumber salad with vinaigrette, salmon lasagna with spinach, fondue with baguette for dipping and fruit compote for dessert) would probably not pass muster under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, because of the refined grains, fat, salt and calories. Nor would the weekly piece of dark chocolate cake. By comparison, a typical federally approved school lunch in the United States is a ‘reformulated’ Philly cheesesteak sandwich (low-fat, low-salt processed cheese and lean mystery meat on a whole grain bun) with steamed green beans, a potato wedge, canned peaches, and an apple. Students often have less than 20 minutes to eat this before returning to class, while French children may have as long as two hours to eat and socialize. Not surprisingly, American kids, whether pressed for time or just grossed out, leave much of their meals untouched; particularly neglected are the fruits and vegetables, which they are now forced to put on their trays before they can exit the cafeteria line”. This shows that because schools don’t give enough food and time to students to last them throughout the day, kids have to depend on junk food to sustain their hunger.
In conclusion, schools should ban junk food. This is evident through the numerous studies and statistics that provide information about how junk food is harmful to people and why kids eat it in the first place. Therefore, we can conclude that junk food should be banned in schools.