In recent years, many states in the US have considered enforcing a ban on junk food in schools, by eliminating or even limiting the availability of such foods in schools. As much as there are dissenting voices to this proposal, there are indeed many reasons that make it a good idea to cut down and even ban junk food in schools. One of the main reasons in support of the ban on junk food has to do with the increased likelihood of children and teenagers becoming overweight. At the turn of the millennium, it was reported that almost 15 percent of all students in America are overweight. This is a significant increase compared to the less than 4 percent reported in the 1960s. The report also stated that close to half a million people die in the US due to obesity-related complications and obesity-related injuries. Junk foods are a major contributor to obesity because they contain a high amount of sugar, salt, and fat, which makes it much easier for an individual to gain weight, especially for an individual who does not engage in many physical activities. Since it is more difficult to force students to engage in physical activities, controlling obesity would better be done by banning or limiting the amount of junk foods in schools.
When at home, parents can easily monitor the food that children eat and can even encourage their children to engage in exercises to stay fit. This is, however, not that easy in schools because of a number of reasons, including the challenge of always monitoring each child. This situation is even made more difficult, due to the availability of vending machines in schools. The vending machines may easily temp a child to avoid the healthy food that may be offered in the school’s dining hall and settle for the unhealthy and easily available junk food that is rich in sugars.
Another reason to ban junk foods, especially those that contain high levels of sugar, is that the high concentration of sugar makes it very difficult for children to pay attention while in class. The concentrated sugars contained in junk foods can easily make a child hyperactive, which in turn makes a child prefer playing to learning. Because of this, the child may not perform well in class because the child has not been paying attention to what is being taught in class.
Yet another reason why junk food is supposed to be banned in schools is that junk foods do not provide the child with the healthy and balanced diet that is necessary for healthy development. One of the recommendations by the health department is that food given to children should not have more than 30 percent fat, but the amount of fat contained in most junk foods clearly surpasses this level.
Tips on Writing a Persuasive Essay:
- First of all, your argument will be stronger if you word your argument in inoffensive language. Avoid sarcasm and accusations. Try to predict counterarguments to your claim and discuss, in the essay, why they do not satisfy your position in the matter.
- In addition to the previous tips, make sure to reserve a separate paragraph for each argument. This will make your essay look a lot more structured.
Enjoy our custom essay writing service which is designed to provide students with persuasive essay writing assistance on any topic!