Why Parents and Schools shouldn’t Ban Junk Food

In her 27 October 2017 Today's Parents editorial, ""Why Parents (and Schools) Shouldn't Ban Junk Food"", Lindsay Kneteman argues that efforts to ban unhealthy food could have unintended consequences. The author notes that when children do get a taste of something forbidden, research shows they can end up overindulging, restricting certain foods and labelling them as ""bad"" also has the potential to scare youth, sometimes to the point where they refuse to try new foods or establish unhealthy relationship with food. Parents should ban junk food and educate their children on the health issues that come with an overconsumption of prepackaged food.

Schools should teach students about healthy alternatives and the benefits that come with positive eating habits.

Junk food can be be obtained during school lunch, at a fast food restaurant and even delivered straight to your door. School lunchrooms may contain vending machines which sell cookies, chips, soda or ice cream to the students. Junk food is high in calories but low in nutritional content. Fast food restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King are everywhere and sometimes can be just walking distance. With new technology such as UberEats and Doordash you don't even have to leave your home to obtain junk food.

Not only is junk food low in nutritional value but it can also have very detrimental effects on a child's mental health. A study published in the ""Journal of School Health"" compared the diets of more than 5,000 students to their results on a standard literacy evaluation. They found that students who consumed a unhealthy diet did worse on the standardized assessment. Diets with increased levels of glucose and saturated fats lowers children's brain power and negatively affects academic performance.

If a large amount of junk food is constantly consumed during childhood, eating healthy later in life may be prove to be tougher than usual. It is quite unlikely that the palate will later savor the less complicated and spicy flavors. Junk food is very addictive and can be very harmful to a child's health. Children who regularly consume junk food have a greater opportunity to develop chronic illnesses such as high cholesterol, heart problems or even premature diabetes.

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