Last year, a Chinese University survey found that 42% of Hong Kong adolescents were having problems with excessive body weight, high blood pressure or abnormal blood fat levels. Poor diet was found to be the main contributor to the problems. The study also suggested that it was necessary to create an environment supportive of healthy lifestyles and to facilitate healthy food choices by schools, families and children. Hence, unhealthy food should be banned in all school canteens due to the reasons concerning the physical, psychological and social aspects of adolescents.
First, unhealthy food should be banned in school canteens because of the health issues of children. Unhealthy food, often high in fat, sugar and salt, contribute to weight gain and obesity, which in turns put children at a risk of getting diabetes, heart disease, cancers and other health problems. An active example could be found at the schools in England, where obesity is a common sight. Poor diet in school canteens, vending machines, such as snacks, chocolate, soft drinks or ice cream are the main players. Therefore, from the year 2006, the food high in fat, salt or sugar has been banned from meals and vending machines in England’s schools.
Second, unhealthy foods should be banned from school cafeterias because they will affect children’s concentration and performance in the classroom. Children at the early stage of their development need more nutrients than adults and so they should get a daily full serving of vitamins and nutrients, such as proteins and water. If students eat fast food every day, they are more likely to have a lower IQ than those who don’t. A New York study showed that students suffering from poor nutrition score much lower on test scores of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic and general knowledge. Therefore, it is important that students should avoid eating unhealthy foods in order to achieve better at school.
Third, unhealthy foods should be forbidden in schools in the social aspect. Parents should monitor a child’s diet. However, while students are away from their parents, the school must function as a parent and help students to develop a healthy eating habit. Besides, health education is extremely important for the well being of all the people. Schools should set a good example of nutritious eating for students and promote a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, Hong Kong should impose a ban on all junk foods in school canteens.
Schools play an important students’ life. Therefore, they ought to help in developing a good and positive lifestyle that a child will have. If the junk food is banned in schools, students would have better health. So, unhealthy food should be banned because of students’ health. Since unhealthy food will bring problems, such as the health issues of children, poor concentration and performance in the classroom, unhealthy food should be forbidden at school.