A forced child is a neglected child.

            When schools take away a child's freedom, they are taking away a lot from them at that age. The child reaps more benefits with choosing to eat junk food if it is present or not. At this point, there is a lot of discussion what is junk food and what is not. If the government can not define junk food, how can they expect an elementary student to be able to? If schools get rid of just vending machine and a la carte junk food items, the cafeteria will just serve unhealthy food through the lines. Will schools stop selling pizza and french fries in the cafeteria line? There are many decisions the government would have to make before enforcing this in schools. The student will not benefit from this.

             The school could start by improving the curriculum about nutrition and requiring more physical activity before the government starts imposing a statewide junk food ban. This would give the student a choice with pulling out the freedom of choice from under them. The student could get more physical activity in gym , which is a required class, and have fun while doing it. Forcing a child to eat certain foods will neglect the child rather than benefiting them.

             Teachers states " We believe that childhood obesity is a very serious issue, and principals, teachers, parents, students, and school boards should be doing their part to address this situation. But banning junk food without other strategies and local decision-making is a superficial remedy that dilutes personal and local responsibilities." This statement clearly defines how it should be handled with out neglecting the child's freedom while educating the children on nutrition, importance of physical activity, and leaning how to decipher from right and wrong. 

The healthier the child, the happier the child.

                 At the end of the day, there can only be positive effects on children when banning junk food in schools. The school environment is one of several settings that can influence children’s food choices and eating habits. Schools can ensure that the available food and beverage options are healthy and help young people eat food that meets dietary recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or low-fat dairy products. 
                  This can prevent children from bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Entail, Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Not only will banning junk food prevent all of these health issues, it will help the learning environment, as well. A healthier kid, is a happier kid. When the environment that kids become educated in is all in all more cheerful, the student will most likely remember what happens in the classroom due to being more involved and less drained. 
                The school can partner up this healthy program with a Be Active Program. The healthier child, also the more likely they will want to run outside and play become more physically active.  Many people argue that the vending machines and junk food sold ala carte are brining the big bucks for the school, but at the end of the day is your child's health less important than that? Again, a healthier kid, is a happier kid. 

Responsibility lies in the Parent's hands

                    How many of you went home after school and pigged out while your parents were still at work? We have all been there and done that. If schools ban junk food and the parents aren't going to support this lifestyle as well, the kids will just go home and eat junk food, which defeats the purpose. This causes the school's revenue to go down, and there was no pint in making a better lifestyle for these kids. Schools should educate the children on healthy behaviors, but the parents should be the ones enforcing these rules.
                 Parents are role models for their kids, and they should be the one punishing the kids for not choosing the right food and not lie in the school's hands.It turns out that the vast majority of parents are failing their kids, at least when packing them lunch. When Dr. Charlotte Evans and colleagues form the University of Leeds surveyed children’s packed lunches in the UK, they found that only 1 in 100 met the standards for nutritional value set by government agencies. Any nutritionist will tell you that healthy eating starts at home.
              Below is a video that shows exactly what children think when purchasing food. A mother is going down the grocery isles picking up food to buy for the week, and behind her is her little girl mimicking her mother and picking up exactly what she buys. Schools should not start to enforce rules, when their foundation at home is not supporting these actions. Children at school will start to have resentment and not look forward to learning and engaging in school!

Responsibility lies in the School's Hands

Today’s adolsecents are almost 3 times as likely to be overweight than they were 20 years ago. Children at such a young age, or just children in general, have not lived off experience, and therefore do not have the experience to know what is wrong and right. Scientists who study children obesity all stress that schools should hold responsibility for teaching what is right and wrong when it comes to the adolescent’s health. Education of obesity and the repercussions of it, in the long run can really affect the child’s lifespan and view of life.

Parents should monitor a child’s diet, but while a student is away from their parents, the school must function as a parent and do what is best for the students. While the parents cannot be there to oversee a student’s meals, a school should make sure those meals do not include junk food. School is where the majority of the children in the United States spend their days. Eliminating junk food in schools will insure that kids are at least getting some of the nutrients they need, and that they are exposed to different types of food. Children are in school for 12 of their formative years, and even one well-balanced meal a day can make a difference.

School is also a place for kids to learn, so why not teach them healthy eating habits as well . There is a health curriculum in schools just for that reason. Of course, parents can set good examples for their children at home, but while the parents are away, the schools should definitely step up. Not only should they teach nutritional eating habits, but they should support it as well. This meaning cutting all junk food out of the school's options. There can still be fun snacks that are healthy for you as well.

Why shouldn't junk food be banned in schools?

               "Its my body, Ill do with it what I want. And if I get fat its my own fault, and never in a million years will I blame you." This was a quote from a debate online when questioned about banning junk foods in school. There are many reasons why people think junk foods should be apart of the school atmosphere. One of the main reasons is that people believe that the student needs to learn how to make decions, right and wrong. The student will never learn unless they are given the opportunity to chose for themselves. Picking out a lunch is a big deal to an adolescent, and this would be limited if junk foods were no longer an option. The adolescent would never learn from their mistakes with only healthy foods in front of them. Kids need to learn how to eat foods that aren't as good for you in moderation.
                 Another reason junk foods should not be banned in schools because these foods give students more energy. Sugary food give students that kick to get through the day. Also, students sometimes need that Snickers bar to get them through the day. If they don't have the energy to pay attention then their school work will suffer. Banning junk foods is not worth the risk of having the student's performance in school lower.
              Last, but not least, junk foods are the main items that cafeterias and vending machines sell. When they are no longer present in school,students go else where to but these items and the school is no longer getting the revenue from the students. The students will eat bad for you foods regardless,  so why bother removing them from the school? Once the school loses the revenue from the vending machines or  a la carte items, they are fishing or money for other school organization and programs.

Should junk food be banned in schools?

Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese; nearly triple the rate in 1963. I believe school is where the children lay their foundations and schools should not be selling snacks that are high in fat and loaded with sugar. I believe schools should only sell snacks that are low in fat and reduced or sugar-free in the a la cart line in the cafeteria and in the vending machines. Sixty percent of overweight five to ten year old children already have one-associated cardiovascular risk factors. Of course there are many factors that cause such a high percentage of children to be obese. One of the main influences of childhood obesity is poor nutrition. 

Taking junk foods out of schools could only produce a positive outcome. The children would be at a lower risk for physical diseases, mental obstacles, and prevent them of having a higher death rate. Among children today, obesity is causing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels, and those are just some physical damages. Children obesity can also trigger low self-esteem, negative body image and depression.  Children who are obese in schools are more likely to get picked on then those who more physically fit. 

Obesity isn’t just a short term phase a child can go through, but an actual long term disease that can a change a person’s life forever. There are many repercussions for children who start living unhealthy as a young kid. Children eat about half their daily calories at school so it stands to reason that replacing unhealthy competitive foods with healthy choices would reduce obesity. Soda and junk food would be replaced with more nutritional substitutions. The student will still have the freedom to choose a snack but it will be between more beneficial and healthy items.