Isaac 1

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 "as 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 "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$ +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- like momm! al"a!s sai $ .nlike the Easto%er (a!care, public schools/, across +merica, meals are regulate b! the fe eral go%ernment$ Instea of each in i%i ual state eci ing "hat meals shoul be ser%e in their local schools, the go%ernment man ates "hat kin s of foo "ill be ser%e e%er! a! in the cafeteria$ +lthough this ma! seem like a goo i ea, man! stu ents, as "ell as parents, are 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 re0uire fruits an %eggies in e%er! school lunch, but has !et to successfull! iscontinue fattening *rench fries, o%er processe

Isaac 2

hamburgers, an greas! pi##as$ 1ebelling against fruits, %egetables, an o%er processe foo s, stu ents are resorting to the %en ing machine for a ,meal- at lunch or simpl! not eating at all$ +ccor ing to 1ee +belson/s article, F is for America Getting Fat, in the New York Times, ,the rate of obesit! is stea il! increasing "ithin the .$S$- )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 2ar iner 3arris/s article, A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food out of School, in the New York Times, the 4bama + ministration, in 2010, ,began a ri%e to e5pel 6epsi, *rench fries, an Snickers bars from the nation/s 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$ )he go%ernment, in 2011, e%en took steps to re%amp the *oo 6!rami , a iagram that outlines the appropriate ail! consumption amount of each foo group, into a tren ! ne" outline calle M!6late, 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$ )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%e7 4%er the course of a "eek, uring lunch hours, I obser%e an inter%ie"e se%eral stu ents at Cape *ear 3igh School, a high school in *a!ette%ille 8C, to obtain a better un erstan ing of ho" stu ents feel about eating from the ,go%ernment/s menu- e%er! a!$

(o !ou think the go%ernment chooses cheap or health! foo to ser%e in schools7 9h!7

Isaac 3

,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$ : E%onne, *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 lunch7;)!ler, Sophomore

E%en though there has to be a re0uire 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 line=at the en of lunch7 ,8ope$ I ha%e to get an apple or orange on m! tra! e%er! a!$ I on/t e%en like those fruits, so guess "here the! go at the en of lunch, in the trashcan$ >ou can/t force foo o"n someone/s throat e%en if it/s re0uire $ It <ust en s of being a : 1eggie, Senior

"aste of mone!$-

(o !ou eat school lunch, bring a lunch, eat from the %en ing machine, or on/t eat at all7 ,I mostl! eat from the %en ing machines, or pig out on some of the fresh bake cafeteria cookies$ )he cafeteria foo is isgusting? :Mariah, 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!6late

Isaac @

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! are felt force to$ )he ma<orit! of the stu ents I obser%e "aste the re0uire fruits an %eggies, pla!e "ith the skim milk, an picke o%er 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$ 4thers "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$- ; Safari, Senior$ +lthough the go%ernment is e5ten 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!$