Should Schools Be Responsible for Childhood Obesity Prevention?
With the nation's childhood obesity rate at 33 percent -- triple what it was 30 years ago -- expectations that schools will do more to keep students healthy continue to rise. But even as the U.S. Department of Agriculture moves ahead with plans to ban campus junk food sales, First Lady Michelle Obama touts the benefits of exerciseand cafeteria turkey tacos, and school districts struggle to meet the more rigorousnew federal nutrition standards, a larger question looms: How much can educators really do to influence a student’s wellness?
Author Roxana Elden, who teaches high school English in Miami, Fla., said that while she supports the feds’ campus junk food ban – which will take effect in the fall of 2014 --there isn’t much schools can do to control the contents of the lunchboxes kids bring from home.
When she taught fourth grade in Houston a few years ago, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were particularly popular among her students so Elden decided to use them as part of a lesson on how to read nutritional labels. (It's worth noting some school districts already prohibit kids from bringing the snack food to campus.) Her lecture didn't
Author Roxana Elden, who teaches high school English in Miami, Fla., said that while she supports the feds’ campus junk food ban – which will take effect in the fall of 2014 --there isn’t much schools can do to control the contents of the lunchboxes kids bring from home.
When she taught fourth grade in Houston a few years ago, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were particularly popular among her students so Elden decided to use them as part of a lesson on how to read nutritional labels. (It's worth noting some school districts already prohibit kids from bringing the snack food to campus.) Her lecture didn't