Banning Junk Food in Schools - A Frustrating Reality

[JamesU]

I'm in middle school, and they just passed this gay law(or so I heard.) saying that junk food shouldn't be allowed in schools. WTF?!? It's pissing me off...

 

[chroot]

1) Most children are not really competent to make sensible choices on their own.

2) Childhood obesity is a very serious problem in the US, leading to many billions of dollars of healthcare bills and lowered productivity.

3) The law probably deals with serving or selling junk food in schools. If you're really that addicted to junk food, you can bring it with you to school. On the other hand, apples are pretty damn tasty -- try one.

- Warren

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm in middle school, and they just passed this gay law(or so I heard.) saying that junk food shouldn't be allowed in schools. WTF?!? It's pissing me off...

Many people currently on their death bed from heart failure and such that still haven't hit the age of 40 might have a different opinion on this.

What actually pisses me off though is that this kinda law would be passed... but cell phones are allowed! grrr :D I hate cel phones!

 

[JamesU]

.

On the other hand, apples are pretty damn tasty -- try one.

- Warren

I don't try anything new with the scool food. I once was eating chicken and found a spleen... :yuck:

My friends insist on crushing the inside of bananas while the skin remains intact. It gives us something to do during language arts class...

Today, I did get an apple. I again, crushed the inside with the skin intact. Apples have a lot of air in them, the pop sounded like this:


ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...

 

[Echo 6 Sierra]

Junk food makes you use bad words, misspell words, and generally destroy the English language. The class you destroy fruit in could actually be of assistance to you.

That said, I just polished off a #4, no onions with a Coke from "McDougals" :tongue2:

 

[Moonbear]

I'm in middle school, and they just passed this gay law(or so I heard.) saying that junk food shouldn't be allowed in schools. WTF?!? It's pissing me off...

It's about time! I don't know what possessed administrators to decide it was okay to sell junk food in schools in the first place! If parents want to allow their kids to eat junk food, they can send it with them in a packed lunch.

I remember when my elementary school first introduced ice cream sandwiches on Fridays (it was supposed to be a once a week treat). My mom was ready to pitch a fit that they were serving us junk at lunch time. They had to set it up so you weren't allowed to buy ice cream until the last 10 minutes of the lunch period, and the lunch aides gave you permission only if you had eaten your lunch first (this was to keep the kids who were given only lunch money and weren't supposed to buy ice cream from buying ice cream instead of lunch; parents who didn't want their kids to buy ice cream just didn't give them money for it). It was really rare that my mom would give me enough money to buy ice cream. I got the exact amount needed to buy lunch or a bag lunch handed to me each morning, and nothing more.

 

[Moonbear]

Junk food makes you use bad words, misspell words, and generally destroy the English language. The class you destroy fruit in could actually be of assistance to you.

Things sure have changed since I was a kid. We weren't allowed to have ANY food in class. We ate lunch at lunch time, and that was all we got while at school. If you got thirsty, there were water fountains in the hallways.

 

[Huckleberry]

Things sure have changed since I was a kid. We weren't allowed to have ANY food in class. We ate lunch at lunch time, and that was all we got while at school. If you got thirsty, there were water fountains in the hallways.

I know. This bugs the hell out of me. In my classes there are signs on the wall "No eating, No drinking, No smoking". But people drink and eat all the time. The drinking doesn't bother me, but the eating sometimes does. Listening to someone wrestle with a wrapper, or munch on a bag of chips is just distracting. One guy brought a whole pizza into the classroom. He offered some to the teacher and she told him to stop eating in class. Everyone could still smell the pizza. I hated it. Maybe I should just light up a cigarette in class and start puffing away. If we are going to break the rules then we might as well break all of them. (I don't believe in that, but sometimes feel that way.)

 

[JamesU]

It's about time! I don't know what possessed administrators to decide it was okay to sell junk food in schools in the first place! If parents want to allow their kids to eat junk food, they can send it with them in a packed lunch.

I remember when my elementary school first introduced ice cream sandwiches on Fridays (it was supposed to be a once a week treat). My mom was ready to pitch a fit that they were serving us junk at lunch time. They had to set it up so you weren't allowed to buy ice cream until the last 10 minutes of the lunch period, and the lunch aides gave you permission only if you had eaten your lunch first (this was to keep the kids who were given only lunch money and weren't supposed to buy ice cream from buying ice cream instead of lunch; parents who didn't want their kids to buy ice cream just didn't give them money for it). It was really rare that my mom would give me enough money to buy ice cream. I got the exact amount needed to buy lunch or a bag lunch handed to me each morning, and nothing more.

Yeah, my old school had junk food once a week. Now, we buy what we want, when we want. Even certain small buissnesses are giving our school food. We get "ozark delight lollipops" (weekly), "jamba juice"(weekly) which are just smoothies, and "port-of-subs" sandwiches,(daily) which are like $3.50! :grumpy:

We also have cookies for 50 cents everyday. Italian ice, nutty roayal ice-cream, these we can buy anytime we want. Our scool has a lot of variety though.. :tongue:

 

[Echo 6 Sierra]

I had lunch with my 2d grade nephew about 6 months ago and was mildly amused. The kids get their lunch and sit down and if they want any condiments the have to raise their hand and an instructor comes over and squirts either katsup or mustard on their tray for them. After eating they have to stay in their seat until the instructor says they can line up at the door and then they leave. When I was that age we ate then left to go stand in the entry way by the Principals office (kept us quiet) until the teacher came to open the door for us to go back down the hall to class. Funny, I don't remember a Police presence in school at that time.

 

[JamesU]

I had lunch with my 2d grade nephew about 6 months ago and was mildly amused. The kids get their lunch and sit down and if they want any condiments the have to raise their hand and an instructor comes over and squirts either katsup or mustard on their tray for them. After eating they have to stay in their seat until the instructor says they can line up at the door and then they leave. When I was that age we ate then left to go stand in the entry way by the Principals office (kept us quiet) until the teacher came to open the door for us to go back down the hall to class. Funny, I don't remember a Police presence in school at that time.

As amazing as it sounds, :uhh: we get to squirt our own katsup and mustard on our food! And we can go wherever we want (within the school) until next period.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yeah, my old school had junk food once a week. Now, we buy what we want, when we want. Even certain small buissnesses are giving our school food. We get "ozark delight lollipops" (weekly), "jamba juice"(weekly) which are just smoothies, and "port-of-subs" sandwiches,(daily) which are like $3.50! :grumpy:

We also have cookies for 50 cents everyday. Italian ice, nutty roayal ice-cream, these we can buy anytime we want. Our scool has a lot of variety though.. :tongue:

what the hell... Educate our future and slowly begin the killing off process at soon as possible!

 

[Moonbear]

I had lunch with my 2d grade nephew about 6 months ago and was mildly amused. The kids get their lunch and sit down and if they want any condiments the have to raise their hand and an instructor comes over and squirts either katsup or mustard on their tray for them. After eating they have to stay in their seat until the instructor says they can line up at the door and then they leave. When I was that age we ate then left to go stand in the entry way by the Principals office (kept us quiet) until the teacher came to open the door for us to go back down the hall to class. Funny, I don't remember a Police presence in school at that time.

Wow! When I was that age, I think we got to add our own condiments, but it was done at the end of the food line, before we got to our tables. We weren't made to sit still, just as long as we stayed by our class' table (each class had their own table at that age). When we were done eating, we were released onto the playground for recess, got out all that extra energy we built up from sitting still in the morning, and then were herded back into lines by class to return to the building for our afternoon lessons (there were literally lines drawn on the blacktop that we had to go stand on at the end of recess, one line for each class). I miss recess!

 

[JamesU]

I miss recess!

Don't we all?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Don't believe any of it yomamma. Really what happens is that adults sit around and conspire to make kids miserable. We laugh and laugh and laugh... :rofl: Next we plan to raise the driving age... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[Pengwuino]

Don't believe any of it yomamma. Really what happens is that adults sit around and conspire to make kids miserable. We laugh and laugh and laugh... :rofl: Next we plan to raise the driving age... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

The more and more time separates me from public school, teh more i start to think this is actually true lol.

 

[JamesU]

:rofl: Next we plan to raise the driving age... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

No, you don't. And when I become 15 and 7/12, I'll come to your house and kick your ass

 

[FredGarvin]

Next we plan to raise the driving age...

I have been preaching that ever since a dim witted, 16 year old, Titanic watching, N Sync loving, Abercrombie and Fitch wearing, Brittney Spears wanna-be totaled my wife's car because she felt she couldn't be distracted with details like 'driving' while putting on her make up on the way to the mall.

Yeah, my old school had junk food once a week. Now, we buy what we want, when we want. Even certain small buissnesses are giving our school food. We get "ozark delight lollipops" (weekly), "jamba juice"(weekly) which are just smoothies, and "port-of-subs" sandwiches,(daily) which are like $3.50!

We also have cookies for 50 cents everyday. Italian ice, nutty roayal ice-cream, these we can buy anytime we want. Our scool has a lot of variety though..

Jimminey...is this a school or a friggin' movie theater? In the immortal words of the snooty Maitr D' from Ferris Bueller's Day Off..."I weep for the future."

 

[Pengwuino]

I have been preaching that ever since a dim witted, 16 year old, Titanic watching, N Sync loving, Abercrombie and Fitch wearing, Brittney Spears wanna-be totaled my wife's car because she felt she couldn't be distracted with details like 'driving' while putting on her make up on the way to the mall.

Man i saw this one girl in this red convertable, blonde hair... went right through a red light like it was nothing. Then i don't know hoa mny times I've seen girls go through stop signs while on the phone.

Its like... guys, we always stop at reds and stopsigns... but man do we know how to speed. Girls can never even reac the speed limit some times but its like their immune to the color red.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, you don't. And when I become 15 and 7/12, I'll come to your house and kick your ass

Did I mention the curfew being discussed?

 

[Moonbear]

Man i saw this one girl in this red convertable, blonde hair... went right through a red light like it was nothing. Then i don't know hoa mny times I've seen girls go through stop signs while on the phone.

Its like... guys, we always stop at reds and stopsigns... but man do we know how to speed. Girls can never even reac the speed limit some times but its like their immune to the color red.

That's pretty sexist, as well as inaccurate. I can assure you I've seen plenty of men fly through red lights and stop signs. I've seen plenty of people of both sexes driving erratically while on the phone too. Everything from driving too slowly, to drifting over the lines, to screeching to sudden stops because they don't notice the car ahead of them slowing down until they nearly run them over, to running lights and stop signs.

Around here, the driving age is 16, and I really don't think teens that young, as a group (there are always exceptions), have the attention span to be safe drivers. Maybe 16 year-olds were more mature when these laws were written, or maybe there just weren't so many cars on the road so that they could be reckless without really hurting anyone out in cornfields somewhere, but nowadays, they are a real risk on the roads around here. Not that I could tell a 16- from an 18-yr old in a car, but I see a lot of young-looking people driving in ways that suggest they are oblivious to their surroundings.

 

[JamesU]

Did I mention the curfew being discussed?

No curfew, so I'll just come on down anytime!

 

[DaveC426913]

I'm in middle school, and they just passed this gay law(or so I heard.) saying that junk food shouldn't be allowed in schools. WTF?!? It's pissing me off...

I'm still trying to figure out what junk food has to do with gay rights.

 

[bomba923]

bomba923 here, just wondering--

What exactly is classified as "junk" food?---
Foods with a sugar content above some limit?
A mineral/vitamin ratio of some sort? Calories to weight?
--------------------------
But aside from that (just to objectify), a more general question:
*Are junk foods also foods with a high fat content?

IIRC, Coke/soda is considered "junk food" by its high sugar content and its "empty calories." However, a good burger has a high fat content, but its calories are by no means empty--i.e., lettuce, tomatoes, protein (from meat), pickles...and all that good stuff. But is it the quantity of fat it contains?--that classifies it as junk food? Suppose there was no mayonnaise (i prefer mustard instead) and the meat was well-done, in a cooker that pours out the fat. Would it still be "junk food"?
*Potato/Cheese chips for example--well, cheese has calcium, which is good for you. And some nutrition labels also note some vitamins (fortified)---but what exactly makes it "junk food"?
--------------
Just to objectify matters, exactly what criteria characterizes "junk food"? What are the conditions that must be met to classify a food as "junk"? --i.e., "junk food" ?

 

[JamesU]

bomba923 here, just wondering--

What exactly is classified as "junk" food?---
Foods with a sugar content above some limit?
A mineral/vitamin ratio of some sort? Calories to weight?
--------------------------
But aside from that (just to objectify), a more general question:
*Are junk foods also foods with a high fat content?

IIRC, Coke/soda is considered "junk food" by its high sugar content and its "empty calories." However, a good burger has a high fat content, but its calories are by no means empty--i.e., lettuce, tomatoes, protein (from meat), pickles...and all that good stuff. But is it the quantity of fat it contains?--that classifies it as junk food? Suppose there was no mayonnaise (i prefer mustard instead) and the meat was well-done, in a cooker that pours out the fat. Would it still be "junk food"?
*Potato/Cheese chips for example--well, cheese has calcium, which is good for you. And some nutrition labels also note some vitamins (fortified)---but what exactly makes it "junk food"?
--------------
Just to objectify matters, exactly what criteria characterizes "junk food"? What are the conditions that must be met to classify a food as "junk"? --i.e., "junk food" ?

I believe it is the sugar content at a certain level.

 

[bomba923]

Ahhaa! I knew it! (no hindsight bias here, as I will explain)

Well, you see, I pretty much avoid sweets of any kind (unless it's chocolate or coffee-flavored..but that's about it). They enacted the same restriction/law in my school, too.
When I stopped eating sweets (@age 7 or so), I pondered...what exactly is bad about high sugar content in foods? Is it better or worse than high fat content?
Without sweets, I began to eat much more. Much more. My appetite expanded CONSIDERABLY--that is, for filling foods: plenty of burgers, bowls of fried rice and chow mein, burritos...etc (cleaning out buffets!). But I stayed a lean ectomorph under 140 pounds (somehow). Generally, I took six to seven mile walks around the city (when bored) and seemed to have limitless energy--until high school's homework kicked in (essentially pointless--I get A's on tests and am the most academically involved student in class (not @home)--why the required+tedious homework?) and I got about four to five hours of sleep.
Then my school enacted the law/restriction on "junk food." Until then, my lunch meant Doritos (registrated TM) and a bottle of Coke (registrated TM).
My diet was fundamentally three rules:
1) No milkfat!--unless it was milk (which I drink quite a lot of) (or some coffee-pie/etc)
2) No sweets!--unless it was coffee-pie or something (not that it exists, tho)
3) Rule of thumb: no large amount of fat unless it came from something strictly filling (like a burger, burrito, nice fish, giant red steak...etc) or a healthy source (olive oil) or it was required for the meal (like sour cream for beef stroganoff)
And I stuck with this diet (no butter in oatmeal breakfast, no butter in instant rice/potatoes, no mayonnaise in anything...etc)
Basically, I ate...and ate quite a lot (large bowls of chow mein, several burritos, many burgers, other meals fit for three (sorry, no objective standard established behind this statement) but stayed slim (somehow!))
Next, (and randomly throughout school) came texts on what not to eat...etc. This meant no burgers/fries/sodas...etc. I don't really drink soda or eat fries any more (unless I happen to go to a burger place), but the criticism of burgers seemed somewhat peculiar. Suppose there was NO mayonnaise (outlawed by my rules) the patty was well-done in a cooker that eliminated much of the fat. In fact, suppose there was no patty--just some lean bologna (now a sandwich)--that would be healthy. I pretty much avoid sweets altogether, but stick to my rules 93% of the time.

But this is where my sugar question comes in. Now there are healthy foods even with high fat content (I think...but mostly low fat content), but none (almost none?) with high sugar content. Hmm--is high sugar content somehow worse than high fat content? What are the risks to high sugar content?

Thus, I decided that "junk food" must then be completely unhealthy (i.e., no significant health benefits whatsover). And I then thought high sugar content must really be the condition! Furthermore, my long story in this post is not required!--but I wrote this as a minor nutritional biography. My motives originally were to objectify the standards by which a food is deemed "junk," and I elicited a response of high sugar content--pretty much what I expected, or hoped to expect!

*Nevertheless, however, perhaps high sugar content is an oversimplification---(or maybe not..). Are there any other criteria, exactly (perhaps), that characterizes "junk food"? Are there any other conditions that must be met to deem a food as "junk" ?

 

[Kakarot]

Man I love junkfood so much lmao. I can't even eat an apple anymore because it just doesn't taste good compared to the yummy treats I usually eat. Oh well at least I am still skinny

 

[Pengwuino]

Did I mention the curfew being discussed?

Wonder how those kids will play sports when they have to be at home by 4:30 :D

 

[The Bob]

Anyone in Britain (don't know about internationally) might have seen the program with Jamie Oliver taking over school dinners. Simply, he improved them by removing all junk food.

The problem with junk food is it does not have the nutrients children need to grow and learn. If children have junk at home as well then they really are in for a bad health life.

Children concentrate better on proper food. The only disadvantages are the cost (as it takes real meat to make the food and real... well... food!) and the dinner staff have to be trainned to cook not to heat food in an oven).

The British government are rubbish on this issue. Putting money into food would be better than new books for schools (as if the children concentrate they will take in more or write more and not need the books to revise from).

It is proven that a proper meal and diet improve learning.

The Bob (2004 ©)

P.S.

1) Most children are not really competent to make sensible choices on their own.

I agree.

I have been preaching that ever since a dim witted, 16 year old, Titanic watching, N Sync loving, Abercrombie and Fitch wearing, Brittney Spears wanna-be totaled my wife's car because she felt she couldn't be distracted with details like 'driving' while putting on her make up on the way to the mall.

Really? This is why I believe there should be a different sort of test. One for how sensibel you are. If there was, then I hope I could have been on the road at 14 (I was tall enough).

I'm still trying to figure out what junk food has to do with gay rights.

That is one way to put across what I was thinking. :rofl:

 

[Moonbear]

But this is where my sugar question comes in. Now there are healthy foods even with high fat content (I think...but mostly low fat content), but none (almost none?) with high sugar content. Hmm--is high sugar content somehow worse than high fat content? What are the risks to high sugar content?
...
*Nevertheless, however, perhaps high sugar content is an oversimplification---(or maybe not..). Are there any other criteria, exactly (perhaps), that characterizes "junk food"? Are there any other conditions that must be met to deem a food as "junk" ?

Junk food can be high fat, such as potato chips (crisps for the UK folks), or high sugar, such as hard candy, or both, such as cookies.

 

[Pre-AlgebraDude]

I NEVER eat lunch room food. I get diarhea EVERY TIME. No kidding. They say the sloppy joes are the lunch ladies crap. I believe it.

My mom brings me barbeque chicken from a local fast food restaurant whenever she volunteers at my school, and it is wonderful, and it isn't bad for you either. Now, they just said we can't bring food, such as fast food, in anymore! THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS RULE EVER! Soon they will make us eat in the lunch room every day, by the looks of it! I'm going to complain if they do. I have told the people that deliver it that it tastes like crap. I yell it too. I am P.O.'ED.

They also banned coke in the fifth grade. Then I was MAAAAAAAD.

 

[Pengwuino]

My mom brings me barbeque chicken from a local fast food restaurant whenever she volunteers at my school, and it is wonderful, and it isn't bad for you either. Now, they just said we can't bring food, such as fast food, in anymore! THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS RULE EVER! Soon they will make us eat in the lunch room every day, by the looks of it!

Kids... lol. I am barely getting into college and its like... damn. Even my 8 year old niece wants a cell phone! We wouldn't dare have an electronic device when i went to school. They were BARELY allowing cell phones when i was nearing the end of high school and it was for emergency purposes only (ha!).

 

[Moonbear]

Since when did they even start allowing you to bring fast food into school? And how can you think BBQ chicken from a fast food place is a healthy lunch? What ever happened to mom or dad packing you a sandwich accompanied by a piece of fruit and handing you money to buy milk to drink with it? If you were really good (and usually when dad packed the lunch), you might find one cookie packed with it as a treat.

 

[Pengwuino]

I feel old, they hella let kids do so much just in the past 2 years

 

[JamesU]

Since when did they even start allowing you to bring fast food into school? And how can you think BBQ chicken from a fast food place is a healthy lunch? What ever happened to mom or dad packing you a sandwich accompanied by a piece of fruit and handing you money to buy milk to drink with it? If you were really good (and usually when dad packed the lunch), you might find one cookie packed with it as a treat.

Anyone who brings sack lunches packs them for themselves, and they pack a whole bunch of sweets and crap in there. And the school really doesn't care whether we bring in fast food, they really don't care about us.