Nowadays, many Hong Kong students favour French fries, fried chicken wings and chips. The food is sold everywhere and is also available in school canteens. However, concern about students’ health is raised: Hong Kong students eat unhealthy food frequently and they are suffering from obesity. Should the food be banned in school?
People raise the question because they think that unhealthy food should be banned in order to help students in this city maintain good health. This action actually diminishes the students’ human right! The city is generally known as a civilized and modern place. One of the reasons is that laws are introduced to protect human rights here. If the so-called ‘unhealthy’ food is totally forbidden, students lose the freedom of choosing what they eat, meaning their rights are infringed. There is no doubt that people, including students, should have their own rights to choose, so unhealthy food should not be banned in school canteens.
Some people may think that banning unhealthy food in school canteens is the most effective way to solve the health problem of Hong Kong students. It is not true! In fact, fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds’, KFC and Mos Burger, are everywhere. Even if the junk food is banned in the school canteens, students can still get the ‘unhealthy food’ easily. Therefore, can this measure really keep Hong Kong students away from unhealthiness? Not really!
Besides depriving students of their right to choose, the school canteens also suffer from the business loss. ‘Unhealthy food’ does attract students. If the food is banned, the canteens will lose a lot of customers. School canteens will not be able to earn any profit, or even to run the business. From the view point of the school canteens, this measure surely causes a harmful effect.
The main purpose of banning unhealthy food in Hong Kong school canteens is to prevent the students from being unhealthy or developing obesity. Using education is more effective in tackling this problem. The Hong Kong government and the schools should introduce more health information to the students, such as the importance of a balanced diet and regular exercise. Also, the schools should offer more physical education lessons and sports activities. It can definitely help solve the problem of obesity. The school canteens can also help. The variety and the amount of the unhealthy food should be limited. At the same time, a series of healthy and delicious food should be promoted.
If the government, schools, parents and students work together, I am sure that Hong Kong students can enjoy healthy and happy lives under no restriction.