What+percent+of+students+actually+eat+the+school+lunches?

Annotated Bibliography 1.) Christodoulou, Irene. //Obese or anorexic? let us choose.// Retrieved from []  8c4023a5d796%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=128&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3  QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=44704582

This editorial by Irene Christodoulou in The New York Times reflects on the authors concerns with obesity in children. She believes that children should be taught how to eat, using tricks and games in order to get them to choose healthy options. Christodoulou discusses how mothers and teachers have to ability to resolve eating issues, as long as the effort is put in.

This was a very interesting article that I agree with, for the most part. I think that a lot of times, eating disorders need serious attention from professionals, but I do believe that eating disorders can be avoided. If children are taught at a young age by their parents and teachers to eat healthily, there is a better chance of them continuing those habits throughout their entire life. Children with parents and teachers that do not encourage good eating habits are more likely to become obese.

2.) //The school lunch barometer.// (December 2011). Retrieved from []  barometer.html?_r=0

This is an analytical article that discusses how the economic downturn has caused previously middle-class families to now be considered poor and eligible for free lunch. A recent statistic showed that the amount of children receiving subsidized lunch rose from 18 million to 21 million in the year 2006-2007… this is a 17% increase. More children are receiving school meals so it is very important for schools to have healthy options.

This article provided me with very important statistics that I used to better my argument in my presentation. With so many children receiving school lunches, it is very important that ALL school lunches meet the necessary health requirements. Obesity is a huge problem in out nation and a lot of times it is because the children are not taught the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods at home. If parents are not teaching their children this, it is crucial that they are taught it in school.

3.) Gunderson, Gordon W. //National school lunch program (NSLP): public concern,// // action and status //// . // Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/history_7

This reputable website (written in the 1960's) discusses the effects of the NSLP and the demands that schools and parents have for school lunches. There was much less concern for children's health in the '60's, and although we still do not have a perfect school meal set up, it has come a long way. Some schools in the 1960's did not even offer school lunch, saying that it is the parents responsibility to feed their children. There were debates between parents and teachers, trying to get students to go home for lunch. In 1969, the problem was finally addressed by the president, stating that it was time to beat hunger in America and it will be done "with the target of reaching every needy school child with a free or reduced-cost lunch by the end of the current fiscal year."

These statistics were taken in the 1960’s, and are definitely outdates, but interesting to compare to todays recent statistics. It is amazing how far out society has come in the last 50 years. If I were a parents during this time, I would be outraged at the fact that teachers were going to try to send my children home for lunch. Parents have to work and do not have the time to come home in the middle of the day. Also, if there is a bus system used to take the children home, the money spent on the buses should be used to provide lunches for the students at school. It was a ridiculous idea that would not even be considered in this day in age, and I am very happy our society has grown and become more knowledgeable since the 1960's.

4.) //Jamie oliver's food revolution us trailer.// (2010). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8CF15HJJ-0

This video was taken off youtube. It is a trailer of chef Jamie Oliver's TV series, Food Revolution. This was aired in 2010 but was not on for very long. Jamie Oliver traveled to Huntington, West Virginia, which is also known as the unhealthiest city in America. Obesity rates are sky high and it is because of the food that is served in the city's homes, restaurants, and most importantly, SCHOOLS. Children are unaware of the food they are ingesting, and the health problems the foods are causing. Jamie Oliver was working in the schools to help build a healthier system that does not cost the city extra money.

I believe that Jamie Oliver should travel around the country to more schools to make these changes. It is so sad to see children, not even out of elementary school, suffering from obesity. Even though Huntington, West Virginia is known as the unhealthiest city, it does not mean that other cities in America are not suffering with the same issues. It is hard to control what children eat in their own homes, but at school, there should absolutely be rules and regulations on what is served. This town in West Virginia is enabling the children's problems that will most likely continue their whole lives. Ending obesity starts with teaching children what is good for their body and what is bad. If children are served bad foods at school, they are most likely not going to know the distance between healthy and unhealthy foods. They are going to choose what tastes better to them.

5.) Mirtcheva, Donka M., Lisa M. Powell. (October 2009). //Participation in the national// // school lunch program: importance of school-level and neighborhood contextual // // factors. // Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751310

This scholarly article discusses the eligibility of the prospective participants for NSLP, as well as the statistics on the nonparticipants. It also examined the association between participants receiving NLSP and free/reduced price NSLP. It also discussed the nutritional standards that are required in serving the school lunches through the NSLP. In 2004-2005, 85% of schools offered lunches that met the standards for protein, vitamins, calcium, and iron, but only a quarter of them met the total fat requirements. In the US, “Forty-nine percent of school lunches served are free, 10% were bought at reduced price, and 41% at full price. Almost 94% of children attended schools offering the school lunch program, and among those children 20.5% never ate the school lunch, whereas 58.4% had school lunches 5 times a week.” I took this quote from the author to use the statistics in my presentation to support my argument.

Such a large majority of children eat school lunches so it is very important that 100% of schools meet all the standards for protein, vitamins, calcium, iron, and fat... Especially fat. Only 25% of schools meet the total fat requirements, which is unacceptable. Childhood obesity is such a big problem in our country, and changing the way school lunches are served will make a huge difference.

6.) Pittman, DW., Parker, JS., Getz, BR., Jackson, CM., Le, Riggs, SB., and Shay, JM. // Cost-free and sustainable incentive increases healthy eating decisions during // // elementary school lunch. // Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22041982

This scholarly article breaks down an experiment that was done in a very diverse school in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The aim of this experiment was to influence healthier eating decisions in elementary school lunches. It was a nine-day experiment where the healthiest foods were labeled a certain way, and if a student was to choose all healthy foods for their lunch, they would receive public recognition (making it seem like a good deed). After nine days, students were excited about the public recognition so they continued to choose the healthy options for lunch. From day one, healthy eating choices increased from 49% of the students to over 60% of the students.

This experiment should be done in all elementary schools. It is such a simple experiment but perfect to do on children at a young age, and it does not require any extra spending to give a child a compliment for doing the right thing. As a child, I know I would have gone for the healthy options just to get a "good job" from my teachers. Children are very likely to do the right thing if they are given the right appraisal after.