How+does+food+served+outside+of+the+cafeteria+impact+students+health+and+nutrition?

1. (Editorial) Deas, G. W. (2006, September 7). Fuel for school. New York Amsterdam News. p. 34 []

In this article Dr. Deas discusses how children’s diets, particularly the fatty snacks and sugary drinks they consume, are to blame for hyper activeness and bad behavior in school. He claims that children in schools who have eliminated chemicals from the menus, such as BHA, BHT, synthetic flavor/color, and TBH, have higher math and reading skills. The article is aimed at parents who give their children unhealthy and unnatural snacks for school. Many behavior problems are linked to bad nutrition and Dr. Deas goal is to make parents more aware of the foods they give their children for snack time.

I think that this article has many good arguments as to how bad food affects children’s performance in school. Although, this article was published in a New York newspaper and many parents living in the city may have problems affording healthier food for their children. I think this article could be great for parents who weren’t aware of the effect the food they buy is having on their children, however some parent readers may only be giving their children unhealthy snack foods because it is all they can afford. If a majority of parents started giving their children healthier snacks for school I could see a substantial improvement happening, however it is harder to influence the eating of healthy snacks when the majority of children are showing up with unhealthy snacks. Nevertheless I thought the article was really informative and helpful.

2. (Journal) SEO, D., & LEE, C. (2012). Association of School Nutrition Policy and Parental Control With Childhood Overweight. Journal Of School Health, 82(6), 285-293. []

This study examined how school food policy and parental control over children’s eating habits are associated with the children’s obesity or health. The study also examined control over physical activity and TV watching, however I focused on the relationship between the schools nutrition policies and rate of obesity. The study included 246 pairs of students and parents from 10 random secondary public schools in Indiana. The results concluded that schools who gave children the option of purchasing soda or non-low-fat salty snacks from vending machines were more likely to be obese than those at schools where such items weren’t sold. At schools where junk food was available for purchase the obesity rate was 36%. On the other hand, at schools where junk food is not available for purchase, 13% of students were considered obese . I think that snacks and drinks should be available for purchase at secondary schools, however I think that there should be a strict policy about what kinds of food are available. Schools should have standards for what food they allow in the vending machines and there should be healthy options available. Even though buying snacks from a vending machine is optional, if the machine is only filled with unhealthy options, students are more likely to eat that unhealthy food. However, if there are healthier options available, it will promote much more nutritious eating.

3. (Journal) Giles, C. M., Kenney, E. L., Gortmaker, S. L., Lee, R. M., Thayer, J. C., Mont-Ferguson, H., & Cradock, A. L. (2012). Increasing Water Availability During Afterschool Snack: Evidence, Strategies, and Partnerships from a Group Randomized Trial. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 43(3), S136-S142. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.05.013 []

In this journal an intervention program that increased water availability during afterschool programs was implemented in 20 random public schools in Boston. Providing drinking water to children during school is a recommended health promotion strategy, however many urban schools have had trouble supplying enough water for students. The goal was to decrease calorie intake of students by replacing sugary drinks with water. Much of the study was focused on how to provide drinking water to students in school, as well as after school programs. They used OSNAP (Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative) to help supply enough water in afterschool programs such as YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Boston Center for Youth and Families. They compared the schools/programs using OSNAP to other schools that used control programs of their own. Baseline characteristics of participants were given for all participants.

I thought the concept of the intervention was beneficial however I would have liked to know how supplying water as a substitute for sugary drinks affected the obesity rate, behavior, or overall health among children participating. I think the journal was more focused on how they went about supplying enough water, but I expected more from the results. They did state that schools participating in OSNAP provided the most water per child and helped decrease caloric intake the most compared to schools using a control program.

4. (Analysis Article) Shah, N. (2013). Comments Weighed On Vending Machine, 'A La Carte' Proposals. Education Week, 32(29), 10. []

This article in “Education Week” discusses proposals from the USDA that would update the nutritional standards among food sold in vending machines and a la carte in the cafeteria among schools across the country. Many people sent in responses to the proposals, however feedback varied. Some thought that the proposals were too restrictive and others thought it wasn’t strict enough. A study found that only 39 states have policies about such food in schools and some of these states only regulate drinks, not food. The USDA’s proposal would create minimum standards for the entire country. The USDA recommended limiting fat, calories, and sodium in items that compete with the highly regulated cafeteria food. The agency also implemented having those food items made from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, protein, and include calcium and fiber. Many nutrition advocates were concerned about loopholes in the proposal such as cafeterias where items sold la carte are part of the student’s meal. They responded by saying la carte food items could be sold as part of a meal if they meet certain standards. They also proposed solving other loopholes by regulating portion sizes of snacks sold based on age.

I think having minimum standards that regulate vending machines and la carte food is completely necessary in our country because even if cafeteria meals are healthy, students could still be surrounded by junk food or sugary drinks in vending machines. There seemed to be a lot of concerns and loopholes however I think the proposal was a good start for the USDA. The proposal wouldn’t effect occasional fundraising events like bake sales, which I think is actually good because that would hurt many fundraising groups within schools.

5. (Reputable Website) Myers, G. (2012). Snacks and Schools: An Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in Bellingham Title I Elementary Schools. []

In this case, researchers Christen Kiser and Kiira Heymann, conducted research involving different types of snack time rituals in elementary schools. The research was part of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. They tested 3 different types of snack times; formal, semi-formal, and informal. Formal snack time involved teachers pausing class and giving instru ction for snack time regarding portions. One student each day is assigned to hand out the snack and first and second helpings of the fruit or vegetable are usually allowed. Also there is time for students to discuss their snack while eating. In semi-formal snack time the teacher pauses class, gives guidelines for the snack, and then allows children to come up and serve themselves. During snack time a teacher may read or give independent work time. There also may be some discussion involving the snack. The last snack time style is informal. This meant that the teacher would place a snack at the back of the room and students are free to serve themselves. However, class is not paused during snack time. The results of the study showed that formal snack time worked the best and was most effective in influencing the students to eat fruits and vegetables instead of bringing their own snack from home. They also found that letting students discuss the snack led to increased participation among peers, and enhanced consumption as well as engagement.

Before I read this article I never even considered that different types of snack time would change how children ate. I think that this was a really innovative way to influence children to eat healthier snacks. The only problem I can think of with this program is that not all school systems have the funds to provide a fruit or vegetable snack for all their students every day. I also think that having a discussion about the snack is a great idea to boost participation. Seeing that this study was done with 1st and 2nd graders, I wonder if it would have the same results with slightly older students, for example 6th graders.