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Jasmine Isaac Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 September 30, 2013 FOOD REGULATION: RESTRICTED OR RESPECTED Cheeks flushe an out of breath, I ran insi e from the pla!groun huffing an puffing an ma e m! "a! to m! !ello" booster chair at the pintsi#e multicolore table$ It "as m! fa%orite part of the a!& it "as lunchtime at Easto%er Share ' Care (a!care$ )here "as al"a!s a "i e %ariet! of foo s to choose from at the lunch table$ *rom ham san "iches to fruit cups, no chil "ent hungr! at Easto%er (a!care$ Each month the management staff of Easto%er (a!care carefull! mappe out a %ariet! of nutritious meals that "oul not onl! appeal in some "a! to e%er! chil but also help the chil ren to e%elop both ph!sicall! an mentall!$ +s a four !ear ol , I ha no i ea "hat nutritious foo or goo health "as, but I kne" I "oul ne%er go hungr! at a!care$ E%er! a! I ha foo options that "ere ,goo for me- like momm! al"a!s sai $ .nlike the Easto%er (a!care, the fe eral go%ernment regulates +merican public schools/ meals$ Instea of each in i%i ual state eci ing "hat meals shoul be ser%e in their local schools, the go%ernment man ates "hat kin s of foo "ill be ser%e e%er! a! in the cafeteria$ +lthough this ma! seem like a goo i ea, man! stu ents, as "ell as parents, are in an uproar about the foo selections the go%ernment chooses to ser%e$ In efforts to promote health! eating an lo"er obesit!, the go%ernment has begun implementing re0uire fruits an %eggies in e%er! school lunch, but has !et to successfull! iscontinue fattening *rench fries, o%er processe

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hamburgers, an greas! pi##as$ 1ebelling against fruits, %egetables, an "hole "heat brea , stu ents are resorting to the %en ing machine for a ,meal- at lunch or simpl! not eating at all$ +ccor ing to 1ee +belson/s article, ,* is for +merica 2etting *at,- in the New York Times, ,the rate of obesit! is stea il! increasing "ithin the .$S$- )he +merican go%ernment, since late 2010, has begun taking it upon itself to regulate "hat foo is allo"e to enter an be remo%e from the school s!stems$ +ccor ing to 2ar iner 3arris/s article, ,+ *e eral Effort to 4ush Junk *oo out of School,- in the New York Times, the 5bama + ministration, in 2010, ,began a ri%e to e6pel 4epsi, *rench fries, an Snickers bars from the nation/s schools in hopes to re uce chil hoo obesit!-, but e%en no", in 2013, these unhealth! items still remain in the lunch rooms an %en ing machines$ )he go%ernment, in 2011, e%en took steps to re%amp the *oo 4!rami , a iagram that outlines the appropriate ail! consumption amount of each foo group, into a tren ! ne" outline calle M!4late, in hopes to sprea a"areness about the importance of eating health!$ )his plate is split into portions, "hich in icate ho" much of each foo group shoul be consume ail! per meal$ )hese efforts are all attempts ma e b! the

go%ernment to encourage +mericans to eat health!$ +lthough the fe eral go%ernment man ating school lunches seems like the i eal solution to unhealth! meals an chil obesit!, is it reall! effecti%e7 5%er the course of a "eek, uring lunch hours, I obser%e an inter%ie"e se%eral stu ents at Cape *ear 3igh School, in *a!ette%ille 8C, to obtain a better un erstan ing of ho" stu ents feel about eating from the ,go%ernment/s menu- e%er! a!$ Consi er some of the follo"ing responses:

(o !ou think the go%ernment chooses cheap or health! foo to ser%e in schools7 9h!7

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,E%en though the school has healthier options no", I still think the! use some cheap forms of foo , especiall! "hen it comes to the meat$ .nfortunatel!, the healthier items ha%e ma e the lunch prices higher$: E%onne, *reshman

,I think the go%ernment tries to choose health! foo s, like the sala bar, skim milk, an "hole "heat buns, but come on, ho" man! ki s o !ou see eating a sala at lunch7;)!ler, Sophomore

E%en though there has to be a re0uire fruits an %eggies on each tra! that lea%es the lunch line, is this polic! helping ki s if the! can <ust thro" it a"a! once lea%ing the line=at the en of lunch7 ,8ope$ I ha%e to get an apple or orange on m! tra! e%er! a!$ I on/t e%en like those fruits, so guess "here the! go at the en of lunch, in the trashcan$ >ou can/t force foo o"n someone/s throat e%en if it/s re0uire $ It <ust en s up being a : 1eggie, Senior

"aste of mone!$-

(o !ou eat school lunch, bring a lunch, eat from the %en ing machine, or on/t eat at all7 ,I mostl! eat from the %en ing machines, or pig out on some of the fresh bake cafeteria cookies$ )he cafeteria foo is isgusting?:Mariah, Junior

+lthough I con ucte inter%ie"s for an entire "eek, in onl! a fe" short a!s I "as able to grasp ho" stu ents trul! felt to"ar school lunch$ E%en though the go%ernments M!4late

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program implements fruits an %egetables in the lunch menu, in an attempt to create a health! meal, there is no guarantee a stu ent "ill eat it, especiall! "hen the! are felt force to$ )he ma<orit! of the stu ents I obser%e "aste the re0uire fruits an %eggies, pla!e "ith the skim milk, an picke through the burnt *rench fries an o%er processe hamburgers$ + han ful of stu ents came into the lunchroom, hea e straight for the tables, an skippe lunch all together$ 5thers "ent irectl! to the front of the line, peere in the kitchen to see "hat "as for lunch, ma e a isguste face, an scurrie off to the %en ing machines to get ,lunch-$ Se%eral stu ents, "hen aske "hether or not the state or the fe eral go%ernment shoul regulate the foo , %oice strongl! that each state shoul be in charge of "hat is ser%e $ ,I think each state kno"s best "hat the stu ents in that area of the countr! prefer to eat, an probabl! kno" ho" to esign a esirable, health!, an cost efficient meal$- ; Safari, Senior$ +lthough the go%ernment is e6ten ing a helping han , pro%i ing stu ents "ith limite choices an o%er processe foo for a higher price is not onl! unhelpful but also unhealth!$ Stu ents are not the onl! ones "ill ill feelings to"ar school lunches& parents are also$ +ccor ing to 4arents maga#ine, in an article segment entitle ,)he 4roblem "ith >our Chil s/ School Aunch,- man! parents are frustrate that the go%ernment/s inter%ention on school lunch has still resulte in o%er processe meals la en "ith unhealth! preser%ati%es, so ium, sugars, an trans fats& instea of significant impro%ements onl! little changes can be seen$ 4arents across the countr! ha%e begun taking a stan against the unhealth! meals "ithin in school s!stems, an are making efforts to bring this issue more attention$ 4arents/ efforts range from large to small, "ith some more ra ical than others$ 4arents in se%eral counties across the countr! ha%e begun petitions against their local school boar s$ *or e6ample, Jennifer Aefering, of Marks%ille, A+, begun a petition in earl! 2013 against the +%o!elles 4arish school boar in efforts for

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impro%ements of school lunches& her t"o chil ren atten one of the school un er this boar /s <uris iction$ 3er petition is state as follo"e :

, )he ne" lunch program is horrible an chil ren are left being hungr! all a!, an the foo the! +1E gi%en is terrible$ E%er! parent shoul ha%e the right to eci e "hat their chil eats, an banning packe lunches in public schools goes against this right$ 8ot to mention, some chil ren ha%e foo allergies= lo" bloo sugar= iabetes etc$ an the lunch program oes not a ress these issues$Sincerel!, : Jennifer Aefering

Some of the more passi%e aggressi%e parents participate in online forums, "here parents can post about their famil!/s school lunch e6periences$ *or e6ample, Caf Mom, a popular online forum for mothers, is a site "here moms from across the countr! are able to post about "hat is being se%ere in their local schools, an the efforts, if an!, that are being ma e to pro%i e healthier lunch choices$ )hrough this site parents can learn an isco%er effecti%e i eas to

propose to their local school boar s in efforts to promote healthier lunches$ 5ther parents "ho also isagree "ith the school lunches but o not ha%e the time to acti%el! be in%ol%e in petitioning an forum posts, simpl! pack their chil /s lunch, but in some counties outsi e lunches are not permitte $ )herefore, some chil ren ha%e no choice but to eat from the school cafeteria, or star%e until the! return home$ *rom petitions to packe lunches, parents, especiall! moms, ha%e begun taking a stan against the ,go%ernment/s lunch,- to ensure that their chil ren can recei%e a health! meal "hen sent to school$

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+lthough some ma! %ie" man! parents/ efforts as e6treme, it is necessar!D

Peer Review: Beth Blackbur I reall! lo%e the use of inter%ie"ing stu ents in high school right no" ha%ing to follo" the ne" eating gui elines$ Just a thought, "hat if !ou got a fe" more responses if !ou coul from mi le an elementar! school to research perspecti%e in age ifferences7 5ne thing I "oul like to kno" about is "hat part of the go%ernment is implementing these ne" foo la"s7 9ho passe the la"7 Michele 5bama/s enforcement7 9hen !ou iscusse the online groups, is that making a ifference7 Is there an!thing going on that is making a ifference in impro%ing the 0ualit! of the foo s or is the go%ernment oing an!thing to fi6 their mistakes7 9h! are meals from home being banne from school7 Is it a mone! thing, "here the go%ernment coul care less about the nutrition of chil ren, <ust tr!ing to make mone! for themsel%es7 I think if !ou coul fin a broa casting or ne"s report about Michele 5bama or an! other legislature iscussing the issue, that that "oul be an effecti%e source$ +ll e%i ence in !our paper is concise an makes a stan $ *or me, I "oul like to kno" more about "hat the go%ernment sa!s about the current ilemma the! ha%e create $ I i notice a fe" grammatical errors, suggesting to proof rea multiple times to catch !ourself$ +s a personal touch, in !our final thoughts, ma!be a ing "hat !ou think coul benefit the situation, e6,: ma!be sur%e!ing the stu ents asking 0uestions about the foo s the! prefer an ha%ing them e%aluate "hat the! islike = like about lunches that school !ear$ +lso, I feel that

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b! allo"ing chil ren to onl! eat certain foo s, an not allo"ing their parents to eici e "hat the! "oul like )3EI1 chil to eat b! allo"ing them to bring packe lunch "ith "hat the parents eem health!, this is %iolating personal an moral rights$ In conclusion, I think that !our essa! is %er! neatl! structure an flo"e "ell from one point to another$ >our point "as clearl! e6presse , <ust a fe" topics I felt nee e elaborating on, as I e6presse abo%e$