Rise of Sugar in Schools

 

At school, typically Cara would eat a breaded chicken sandwich on white bread with some chips, fruit, or fries, a cookie, and a soda for lunch. For breakfast, she would eat Kellogg brand cereal, such as frosted flakes, with white cafeteria milk, and probably purchase a coffee at her school coffee stand. Nothing she ate wasn’t sweetened somehow by sugar.

 

The sugar content in food in schools has risen. Before the era of processed foods in the 19th century, children were told to go home to eat lunch, or to bring lunch from their homes, which would be homegrown and high in nutrients. Unless they went to a private institution. Then schools began to provide lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a study at the time, showing a rise in academic progress coupled with hot and ready lunches at school. Over the years, lunches became more economical, representing the school’s financial situation. When times got tough, schools would purchase foods low in nutrients and high in sugar, so they could also afford teachers to teach these students.

This doesn’t mean schools are evil, they are just economical. There are many studies which show low income families rely on cheap and easy to buy food to support their families. For example, the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a survey and published their results on, Thursday, December 5, 2013, which stipulated that eating an unhealthy diet would save someone $1.50 every day. For a school, this is a very large sum. A school would save $1.50 for every student and teacher they feed, and schools, according to a census of school population from 1999-2000 by the Natural Center for Education Statistics, have on average 752 students. This means a single school would save $1128 a day on school lunches alone. This number may be different by today’s numbers; it doesn’t change the fact schools will serve unhealthy foods to save money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

 

 

Duncan, Lindsey, Dr. “THE HIDDEN, SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR.” Dr. Lindsey. Lindsey Duncan, n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.

 

Dwyer, Marge. “Eating healthy vs. unhealthy diet costs about $1.50 more per day.” Harvard School of Public Health. N.p., 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Guyenet, Stephen. “By 2606, the US Diet will be 100 Percent Sugar.” Whole Health Source: Nutrition and Health

Science. Stephan Guyenet, 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Harcombe, Zoe. “Introduction.” The Obesity Epidemic. Zoe Harcombe, 2014. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Kim. “My Plate – addressing portion sizes?” This Runner’s Fuel. Kim, 13 July 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

McDowell, Lena. “Overview of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools and Districts: School Year 1999-2000.” National Center for Education Statistics. N.p., Sept. 2001. Web. 20 May 2014.

 

Mercola, Dr. “How the Sugar Industry Hoodwinked You about the Dangers of Sugar, Using Big Tobacco Tactics.” Mercola. Dr. Mercola, 1 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014.

 

Olver, Lyner. Food Timeline FAQs: School lunches. Ed. The Food Timeline. N.p.: Foodtimeline, 2014. Food Timeline. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Robinson, Jo. “Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food.” New York Times 25 May 2013: n. pag. Print.

Stoll, Scott, Dr. “Has Your Food Changed Over the Past 100 Years?” Fully Alive Today. Dr. Scott Stoll, n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Pictures:

Dwyer, Marge. “How Much Money the School Saves.” Trans. Sammy Colker-Eybel. Google Docs. N.p., 18 May 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.   This is a graph I made, with information from Marge Dwyer

 

Jamieson, Alex. “Portion Size Compared.” This Runner’s Fuel. Kim, 13 July 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Landen, Jeremy. “U.S Sugar Consumption, 1822-2005.” Whole Health Source: Nutrition and Health Science. Stephen Guyenet, 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014. 

 

Mercola, Dr. “Prevalence of Obesity Among U.S Adults Aged 20-74.” Mercola. Dr.Mercola, 1 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014.