U.S. Schools Get Rid of Junk Food

It was reported on Monday that U.S. school cafeterias and fundraisers are including less and less amount of fatty foods, also known as “junk food.” Instead of offering French fries in the cafeteria or cookies and other high-fat goods in the vending machines, schools are now offering healthier choices to the students. These choices include “salads, low-fat or non-fat yogurt, and low-fat salty snacks like pretzels and baked chips.”

Media reports show there is a significant difference from the amount of French fries offered in school cafeterias from the year 2000 to 2006. In 2000, about 40 percent of US schools used to serve French fries to students; in 2006, about 19 percent of the schools did. As for the fundraisers that were done in schools, 54 percent sold fatty goods in 2006 in comparison to 67 percent in 2000.

Public-health officials still wanted to approach this very cautiously, though. They were still not satisfied by the amount of physical education that schools lack into the students’ daily activities. They were aware 90 percent of schools already provide such an education; however, they don’t all offer it to every student age group as a daily activity. It is a must that students participate in daily activities because “Kids that learn this at an early age will practice this into adulthood,” said Jan Harp Domene, president of the national PTA. If they do not do so, then generations to come will be known as “couch potatoes!”