Final Version of Junk Food Essay

In everyday life, the consumption of junk food such as takeaway foods, pre-packaged meals, and sugary snack foods seems to be a part of children and youth’s life recently. Generally, junk food refers to any food that is perceived to be unhealthy and of low nutritional value (Smith 2005). With the increase in availability and consumption of junk food by Australian schoolchildren, the nutritional value of food eaten has been falling progressively over the past 30 years (Weekend News 2005). The issue of sale of junk food has always been debated among the school communities across the country. I strongly believe that the sale of junk food in school canteens should be banned as it leads to childhood obesity, negative health consequences and litter problems.

First and foremost, over consumption on junk food is likely to increase the cases of obesity especially among children and youth. “Central University researcher Professor Steven Reynolds said that by offering foods high in fat and sugar, school canteens are actually contributing to the problem of youth weight gain.” (Weekend News 2005, p.6) Research shows that the proportion of overweight population is expanding in Australia due to the over intake of junk food. Obesity is seen to be a serious case as it may lead to heart disease, osteoarthritis and some cancers. The problem is made worse by the fact that most young people do not get enough physical activity (Weekend News 2005).

Besides, the sale of junk food in school canteens is partly responsible for the negative impacts on health among youth nowadays. According to Tran in Weekend News (2005), Dental Association is urging state governments to prohibit the sale of soft drinks in schools because of a decline in the dental health of Australia’s primary-school children. Furthermore, students may not get the nutrients needed for healthy development and growth with the intake of junk food. In The Food Show (2005), Caputo, a child psychologist said that junk foods are often loaded with chemical addictives, many of which can trigger behavior problems, such as hyperactivity and poor concentration.

In addition, fast food packaging is the major contributor to litter problems especially in schools. We should take this issue seriously as litter is a safety and health hazard to the community. As a result of increasing troubles with litter, school authorities nowadays have to spend more on cleaning costs, and this will indirectly involve an opportunity cost as the spending can initially be used on maintenance projects that benefit the schools. Also, litter may spoil the image of our communities. Thus, there is a need to urge an immediate ban on the sale of junk food in school canteens. Smith in Family Journal (2005) discusses that schools that have cut down the sale of junk foods have consequently reduced their litter problems.

In a nutshell, I strongly believe that the sale of junk food in school canteens should be banned as soon as possible as junk food has always been blamed for various negative outcomes such as childhood obesity, decreasing health level and litter problems. Besides the effort to ban the sale of junk food in school canteens, parents should take the responsibility as well as to encourage their children to take moderate and balanced diets. Schools can also play a key role in changing the diets of young people by educating them about good nutrition and promoting good eating habits through healthy food policies. As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. Therefore, we should tackle this problem immediately before it turns into a global crisis.