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Jasmine Isaac Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 September 30, 2013 FOOD REGULATION: RESTRICTED OR RESPECTED Cheeks flushe an out of breath, I ran insi e from the pla!groun huffing an puffing an ma e m! "a! to m! !ello" booster chair at the pintsi#e , multicolore table$ It "as m! fa%orite part of the a!& it "as lunchtime at Easto%er Share ' Care (a!care$ )here "ere al"a!s a "i e %ariet! of foo s to choose from at the lunch table$ *rom ham san "iches to fruit cups, no chil e%er "ent hungr! at Easto%er (a!care$ Each month the management staff of Easto%er (a!care carefull! mappe out a %ariet! of nutritious meals that "oul not onl! appeal in some "a! to e%er! chil but also help the chil ren to e%elop both ph!sicall! an mentall!$ +s a four !ear ol , I ha no i ea "hat nutritious foo or goo health "as, but I kne" I "oul ne%er go hungr! at a!care$ E%er! a! I ha foo options that "ere ,goo for me- .ust like momm! al"a!s sai $ /nlike the Easto%er (a!care, the fe eral go%ernment regulates +merican public schools0 meals$ In earl! 2010, 1resi ent 2arack 3bama signe the 4ealth!, ' 4unger5 *ree +ct, "hich gi%es e%er! chil enrolle in the public school s!stem access to a nutritious meal "hile at school& this act "as implemente in efforts to ecrease the rate of chil hoo obesit!, an to get chil ren on track for e%eloping health! eating habits 63ffice of the 1ress Secretar! 27$ (ue to this act, each in i%i ual state no longer ictates "hat meals are ser%e in their local schools& the go%ernment no" man ates an o%ersees the foo s that are ser%e each a! in the cafeteria$

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+lthough the go%ernment ha goo intentions, man! stu ents, as "ell as parents, are no" in an uproar about the foo selections the go%ernment chooses to ser%e$ In efforts to promote health! eating an lo"er obesit!, the go%ernment has begun implementing re8uire fruits, %eggies, an "hole grain brea in e%er! school lunch, but has !et to successfull! iscontinue fattening *rench fries, o%er processe hamburgers, an greas! pi##as$ 9ebelling against fruits, %egetables, an "hole "heat brea , stu ents are resorting to the %en ing machine for a ,meal- at lunch or simpl! not eating at all 6:arsen 27$ +ccor ing to 9ee +belson0s article, ,* is for +merica ;etting *at,- in the New York Times, ,the rate of obesit! is stea il! increasing "ithin the /$S -6+belson 17$ )he +merican go%ernment, since late 2010, has begun taking it upon itself to regulate "hat foo is allo"e to enter an be remo%e from the school s!stems$ +ccor ing to ;ar iner 4arris0s article, ,+ *e eral Effort to 1ush Junk *oo out of School,- in the New York Times, the 3bama + ministration, in 2010, ,began a ri%e to e<pel 1epsi, *rench fries, an Snickers bars from the nation0s schools in hopes to re uce chil hoo obesit!-, but e%en no", in 2013, these unhealth! items still remain in the lunch rooms an %en ing machines 64arris 27$ )he go%ernment, in 2011, e%en took steps to re%amp the *oo 1!rami , a iagram that outlines the appropriate ail! consumption amount of each foo group, into a tren ! ne" outline calle M!1late, in hopes to sprea a"areness about the importance of eating health!$ )his plate is split into portions, "hich in icate ho" much of each foo group shoul be consume ail! per meal 63ffice of the 1ress

Secretar! 37$ )hese efforts are all attempts ma e b! the go%ernment to encourage +mericans to eat health!$ +lthough the fe eral go%ernment man ating school lunches seems like the i eal solution to unhealth! meals an chil obesit!, is it reall! effecti%e= 3%er the course of a "eek, uring

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lunch hours, I obser%e an inter%ie"e se%eral stu ents at Cape *ear 4igh School, in *a!ette%ille >C, to obtain a better un erstan ing of ho" stu ents feel about eating from the ,go%ernment0s menu- e%er! a!$ Consi er some of the follo"ing responses:

(o !ou think the go%ernment chooses cheap or health! foo to ser%e in schools= ?h!= ,E%en though the school has healthier options no", I still think the! use some cheap forms of foo , especiall! "hen it comes to the meat$ /nfortunatel!, the healthier items ha%e ma e the lunch prices higher$5 E%onne ?a!ne, *reshman

,I think the go%ernment tries to choose health! foo s, like the sala bar, skim milk, an "hole "heat buns, but come on, ho" man! ki s o !ou see eating a sala at lunch=@)!ler (aniels, Sophomore

E%en though there has to be a re8uire fruits an %eggies on each tra! that lea%es the lunch line, is this polic! helping ki s if the! can .ust thro" it a"a! once lea%ing the lineAat the en of lunch= ,>ope$ I ha%e to get an apple or orange on m! tra! e%er! a!$ I on0t e%en like those fruits, so guess "here the! go at the en of lunch, in the trashcan$ Bou can0t force foo o"n someone0s throat e%en if it0s re8uire $ It .ust en s up being a 5 9eggie 2ullar , Senior

"aste of mone!$-

(o !ou eat school lunch, bring a lunch, eat from the %en ing machine, or on0t eat at all=

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,I mostl! eat from the %en ing machines, or pig out on some of the fresh bake cafeteria cookies$ )he cafeteria foo is isgustingD5Mariah ?illiams, Junior

+lthough I con ucte inter%ie"s for an entire "eek, in onl! a fe" short a!s I "as able to grasp ho" stu ents trul! felt to"ar school lunch$ E%en though the go%ernments M!1late program implements fruits an %egetables in the lunch menu, in an attempt to create a health! meal, there is no guarantee a stu ent "ill eat it, especiall! "hen the! feel force to$ )he ma.orit! of the stu ents I obser%e "aste the re8uire fruits an %eggies, pla!e "ith the skim milk, an picke through the burnt *rench fries an o%er processe hamburgers$ + han ful of stu ents came into the lunchroom, hea e straight for the tables, an skippe lunch all together$ 3thers "ent irectl! to the front of the line, peere in the kitchen to see "hat "as for lunch, ma e a isguste face, an scurrie off to the %en ing machines to get ,lunch-$ Se%eral stu ents, "hen aske "hether or not the state or the fe eral go%ernment shoul regulate the foo , %oice strongl! that each state shoul be in charge of "hat is ser%e $ ,I think each state kno"s best "hat the stu ents in that area of the countr! prefer to eat, an probabl! kno" ho" to esign a esirable, health!, an cost efficient meal,- sai Safari Smith, a senior$ +lthough the go%ernment is e<ten ing a helping han , pro%i ing stu ents "ith limite choices an o%er processe foo for a higher price is not onl! unhelpful but also unhealth!$ Stu ents are not the onl! ones "ith ill feelings to"ar school lunches& parents are also$ +ccor ing to Parents maga#ine, in an article segment entitle ,)he 1roblem "ith Bour Chil s0 School :unch,- man! parents are frustrate that the go%ernment0s inter%ention on school lunch has still resulte in o%er processe meals la en "ith unhealth! preser%ati%es, so ium, sugars, an

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trans fats& instea of significant impro%ements onl! little changes can be seen$ 1arents across the countr! ha%e begun taking a stan against the unhealth! meals "ithin in school s!stems, an are making efforts to bring this issue more attention$ 1arents0 efforts range from large to small, "ith some more ra ical than others$ 1arents in se%eral counties across the countr! ha%e begun petitions against their local school boar s$ *or e<ample, Jennifer :efering, of Marks%ille, :+, begun a petition in earl! 2013 against the +%o!elles 1arish school boar in efforts for impro%ements of school lunches& her t"o chil ren atten one of the schools un er this boar 0s .uris iction$ 4er petition is state as follo"e :

, )he ne" lunch program is horrible an chil ren are left being hungr! all a!, an the foo the! +9E gi%en is terrible$ E%er! parent shoul ha%e the right to eci e "hat their chil eats, an banning packe lunches in public schools goes against this right$ >ot to mention, some chil ren ha%e foo allergiesA lo" bloo sugarA iabetes etc$ an the lunch program oes not a ress these issues$Sincerel!, 5 Jennifer :efering 6Comeau< 27

Some of the more passi%e aggressi%e parents participate in online forums, "here parents can post about their famil!s0 school lunch e<periences$ *or e<ample, Caf Mom, a popular online forum for mothers, is a site "here moms from across the countr! are able to post about "hat is being ser%e in their local schools, an the efforts, if an!, that are being ma e to pro%i e healthier lunch choices$ )hrough this site parents can learn an isco%er effecti%e i eas to

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propose to their local school boar s in efforts to promote healthier lunches$ 3ther parents "ho also isagree "ith the school lunches but o not ha%e the time to acti%el! be in%ol%e in petitioning an forum posts, simpl! pack their chil 0s lunch, but in some counties, packe lunches are onl! permitte if un er octors or ers or if a chil has serious foo allergies$ Man! schools ha%e begun banning outsi e lunches to force more chil ren to purchase school lunch& therefore, some chil ren ha%e no choice but to eat from the school cafeteria, or star%e until the! return home 6:arsen 37$ *rom petitions to packe lunches, parents, especiall! moms, ha%e begun taking a stan against the ,go%ernment0s lunch,- to ensure that their chil ren can recei%e a health! meal "hen sent to school$ +lthough some ma! %ie" man! parents0 efforts as e<treme, it is necessar!$ 2eing that lunch is the onl! meal most stu ents recei%e throughout an eight5hour perio , it is essential this meal be a nutritious one$ >ot onl! oes a health! meal promote goo gro"th an e%elopment in

!oung chil ren an teens, but also goo school performance$ +ccor ing to (r$ 1aul Geugelers of the /ni%ersit! of +lberta, stu ents "ho eat an a e8uate an balance amount of fruit, %eggies, proteins, an fiber an other components of a health! iet are significantl! less likel! to fail a test 6,4ealth! (iet Means 2etter School 1erformance-7$ )here are man! foo sAmeals that contain antio<i ants an %itamins that can pro%i e a stu ent "ith the necessar! energ! to e<cel in the classroom$ *or e<ample, blackberries contain antio<i ants that keep the neurons in one0s brain flo"ing, allo"ing one to absorb an remember information$ 1acke "ith %itamin E an H, spinach has nutrients that pre%ent ementia an keeps one0s memor! sharp$ Curr!, "hich contains a memor! sharpening spice calle turmeric, is another health! meal option$ Salmon contains 3mega530s that pre%ent %ision impairments 6+nsei 27$ )hese are onl! a fe" ishesAfoo s that are health! an helpful, !et none of these are making their "a! through the

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lunch lines$ Instea , "e are seeing changes that are har l! health! such as, s"eet potatoes *rench fries, frie chicken ten ers, an instant spaghetti meals$ It is imperati%e that the go%ernment begins to pro%i e meals that "ill help our chil ren e%elop both ph!sicall! an mentall!$ Overall, President Obamas attempt to improve school lunches has been a failure. According to talk show host Rush Limbaugh, participation in the school lunch program has dropped by thousands of students. Principals report massive waste; students are ditching lunch, and some say they're suffering from headaches, stomach pains, and even anemia. At many campuses, an underground market for chips, candy, fast-food burgers and other taboo fare are thriving (Limbough 1). Pad Thai noodles, jambalayas, and tamales are only some of the new, healthier selections in the lunchroom. Even though the introduction of healthier foods into the school systems was a success, getting students to adjust to the new meal choices has not been. Many of these new meals are completely foreign dishes to students, which is the primary reason students are rejecting them (Limbough 1). Instead of replacing the whole lunch menu with unfamiliar foods, the government should incorporate healthier revisions of familiar recipes such as veggie burgers, baked chicken, and chicken/beef tacos. Stripping away every familiar meal and replacing them with foreign ones is causing students to look to the vending machines for a meal or simply starve, instead of encouraging them to eat healthy. Despite the governments efforts to improve school lunch, there is still uproar from parents and students about what is being served in the lunchroom. It is time for the government to step back and allow some other form of authority, whether it is each individual state or county, to regulate the school lunch menu. If the government continues to feed our students, many children will develop poor eating habits, which in turn will increase the rate of childhood obesity instead of lowering it, which was the initial mission of the Healthy & Hunger Free Act.

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?ork Cite +belson, 9ee $ ,* is for +merica ;etting *at$- New York Times. >e" Bork )imes, 2012$ ?eb$ E Sept$ 2013$ +nsei, Haren$ , 10 *oo s to 4elp 2oost Bour 2rain 1o"er$- Cooking Light. C>> 4ealth, J Sept$ 2010$ ?eb$ C >o%ember 2013$ 2ullar , 9eggie$ 1ersonal Inter%ie"$ 13 Sept$ 2013$ Burke County Public chools. 2urke Count! School S!stems$ ?eb$ 12 3ctober 2013$ Comeau<, 2ran on$ , +%o!elles 1arish Stu ents *ile 1etition +gainst School :unch$- !P"L #$.% fm. 1C >o%$ 2012$ ?eb$ C >o%$ 2013$ (aniels, )!ler$ 1ersonal Inter%ie"$ 13 Sept$ 2013$ 4arris, ;ar iner$ ,+ *e eral Effort to 1ush Junk *oo out of School$- New York Times$ >e" Bork )imes, 2010$ ?eb$ E Sept$ 2013$ ,4ealth! (iet Means 2etter School 1erformance$- &ournal of chool 'ealth 6200J7$ ?eb$ C >o%$ 2013$ :arsen, Eli#abeth$ ,)he 1roblem "ith Bour Chil 0s School :unch.- Parents Maga#ine$ 3$ ?eb$ 1E 3ctober 2013$ :imbaugh, 9ush$ ,Michelle 3bama0s School :unches *orces Hi s to *in 2ack5+lle! Meals$The (ush Limbaugh how$ 20 (ec$ 2011$ ?eb$ 3 (ec$ 2013$ 3ffice of the 1ress Secretar!$ ,1resi ent 3bama Signs 4ealth!, 4unger5*ree Hi s +ct of 2010 In :a"$- The )hite 'ouse* Presi+ent Barack ,bama$ 13 (ec$ 2010$ ?eb$ C >o%$ 2013$ Smith, Safari$ 1ersonal Inter%ie"$ 13 Sept$ 2013$ ?a!ne, E%onne$ 1ersonal Inter%ie"$ 13 Sept$ 2013$

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?illiams, Mariah$ 1ersonal Inter%ie"$ 13 Sept$ 2013$