Introduction
The health status of an individual significantly affects the way that person operates, or performs his/her duties. Nutrition is a colossal determinant of how well people do health wise. Nutrition for kids and school-going children is an important factor in their growth, development, and even performance in school. This paper examines the impact of good/bad nutrition on children in elementary school, and analyses the pros and cons of a possible government policy, requiring all public elementary schools to provide free breakfast to children in their schools.
Problem statement
In the United States of America, elementary education is obligatory (1). Elementary schools offer this education, and children attending these schools are on average, aged between six and18 years (1). The age depends on an individual state, and funding in public schools comes from the Local, State and Federal governments (1). The children’s performance and other activities at school are greatly influenced by their health status, a significant determinant of which is their diet (2).
The nourishment one obtains from the food eaten is what is commonly referred to as nutrition (3). A good nutrition for children and teenagers is vital, since it not only affects their daily life, but also their future (2). The nourishment a child gets impacts significantly on that child’s health later in life. It determines such factors as the likelihood of that child becoming an obese adult and suffering from illnesses such as diabetes among other health conditions (3).
The health of children is important to both families and the whole society. It is, therefore, in the state’s interest to ensure that they are well nourished from an early age. This duty should not be left to families alone, since many of them are facing difficulties providing nutritious and healthy meals for their children. This difficulty stems from a myriad reasons ranging from tight schedules, economic hardships, to irresponsibility on the part of parents. It is possible to reduce the problem of poor nutrition among school-going children by a wide margin, by involving the government in these efforts. Requiring all public elementary schools to provide free breakfast for children in the schools would ensure that, a significant number of school-going children access good nutrition.
Pros of the policy
A balanced diet is essential for children during breakfast, lunch and supper. The health benefits from healthy feeding are innumerable, not only in the present, but also later in life (4). Children can obtain good nourishment only from healthy feeding, and this means eating portions of food that meet their dietary needs. School-going children in particular, need to have a closely watched diet. The reason for this is that poor nourishment has been proved to interfere with the learning capacity of a child (4).
Poor nutrition hampers the development of a child not only physically but also mentally (2). It may also have emotional effects (4). The problem of overweight and obese children has reached catastrophic levels in the US. It is estimated that 17% of children aged between 2 and 18 years in America today are either overweight or obese (3). There is also proof that less than 10% of children and teenagers consume the recommended amounts of nutrients (4). The weight problem affects the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of a child. The participation in school activities of a child and his/her interaction with others is in many cases, negatively affected by a weight problem (4). This makes government’s input in ensuring that children access healthy meals imperative.
Many busy families eat out instead of cooking proper meals, and the consequence of this is that children do not get proper nourishment. Low-income families also face financial difficulties in ensuring that their children get proper nutrition. Subsidized meals are offered by government in many public schools (5), but they still cannot be reached by many in the very desperate cases. Offering free breakfast in public schools for all children is bound to have innumerable health and economic benefits to school-going children and also the state.
Children and teenagers who cannot access the required portions of vitamins, proteins and calories in their diet from home can obtain the balance from school. Such a policy would also be of much benefit to cash-strapped parents. Free breakfast at school would ensure that even those who cannot afford the subsidized meals access at least one healthy meal in a day. In view of the fact that obesity is a huge problem in the US, providing healthy food at school is important in reducing the problem. Health experts recommend the adoption of healthy eating habits to halt weight gain, instead of weight loss in children fighting obesity (3).
Most Americans are not facing the problem of little or no food, but rather, too much of the wrong kind of food (3). It is easier for kids and other youngsters to choose junk for breakfast or lunch, than healthy foods such as unsweetened drinks, fruits and proteins. Teenagers need loads of energy giving foods, but they tend to choose the wrong sources of calories. Putting in place a system of ensuring they get the right kind of foods and nutrients during the day, helps in keeping them alert and is likely to improve their performance in class and other activities (4). It has also been proved that proper nourishment improves the learning of verbal and communication skills in children (2).
Providing a healthy breakfast at school for children gives them the energy required to take them through the day. It is also a fact that a healthy diet boosts one’s immunity and keeps illnesses at bay (4). This means that the policy would not only have health benefits, but economic ones as well since the money spent on drugs and other treatments would also be reduced. Healthy children will need less medical attention and they will be more productive, perform better and will also have better social relationships.
Cons of the policy
The intention of implementing a policy which requires the provision of free breakfast in elementary schools is to provide children with at least one healthy meal during the day (6, 7). This may, however, not be achieved if the meals provided do not contain the recommended portions of nutrients required by the different age groups attending school. Nutritional requirements of children differ according to age and other factors such as height and weight (4). Correct portions must also be given in order to achieve the desired aims.
If correct portions are not served, a free breakfast at school programme may end up worsening the obesity problem already in existence (8). The government needs to involve professional nutritionists to craft the list of foods to be provided (8), to ensure that children and teenagers dealing with weight problems are taken care of. This may also mean a significant expense on the part of the government. In the instance that the providers of these goods and services inflate their prices during the contracting process, the government may end up incurring unnecessary costs and the programme may not make much economic sense. In this vein, there have been calls for the scrapping of similar programmes for lack of accountability (7).
Analysis of the policy
The adoption of a policy requiring all public elementary schools to provide free breakfast is likely to be beneficial to millions of children. The benefits could include; improved health, learning capacity, and increased participation in physical activities among others. Ensuring that America’s children get a healthy meal at the beginning of the day may reduce the obesity problem plaguing the majority of households, by providing the right kinds of food.
This will not be achieved at no cost at all. The costs are bound to be enormous, both in terms of finances and resources. The government’s budget is likely to be stretched to cover the increased cost, and this could mean a higher tax burden on the population (5). However, it is clear that the health and other related benefits of the policy outweigh the disadvantages of adopting it and, therefore, it should be adopted in the interests of children and the whole society as well.
Summary
The nutrition a child gets early in life affects his/her health later in life (2). Nutrition also affects the way a child functions every day, and that is why it is imperative to make sure that children and teenagers get proper nourishment from the food they eat. Ensuring that they get healthy and proper meals at school for free would also assist in reducing obesity problems in America.
References
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Weight Problems and Obesity in Children: Helping Your Child Reach and Maintain a healthy Weight. Helpguide Website. 2011.
Clouatre D. Special Nutritional Needs of Children and Teenagers. Total Health Magazine Website. 2010.
Edwards C. Food Subsidies. CATO Institute Website, 2009.
Gunderson GW. National School Lunch Program: Background and Development. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Website. Undated.
Food Stamp Program: Payment Errors and Trafficking Have Declined Despite Increased Program Participation. Government Accountability Office. 2007.
US Government Proposes to Introduce Healthy School Food. Ifood Website. 2007.