When
I was in elementary school, except for recess, it was all work. School started
after Labor Day with the Texas temperatures still in the 90’s, and no AC in
site. And adults never gave us ice cream or popsicles to cool off. I don’t remember
ever having classroom birthday and other celebrations featuring cupcakes topped
with brightly colored frosting.
I’m
not sure when the change occurred, but for modern children, there are many
occasions both in and outside of school to celebrate with junk food. Halloween,
Valentine’s, club meetings, and birthday celebrations almost always include
treats. You never know when the birthdays are going to fall, so there could be
several in a row.
Attempting
to avoid the title “food police”, I’ve never written or talked about this issue.
But I was inspired by a recent article written by U.S. News health columnist
Yoni Freedhoof, “Why is everyone always giving my kids junk food?”
Freedhoof
writes, “There's simply no occasion too small to not warrant a junk food
accompaniment. But for me, the strangest part of all is the outcry that occurs
if and when I point it out. My experiences have taught me that junk food as
part of children's' activities has become so normalized that my questioning
this sugary status quo genuinely offends people's sensitivities and sometimes
even generates frank anger. People other than their parents giving children
junk food shouldn't be considered "normal," and until that attitude
changes, I guess I'll just have to keep pointing out how crazy our new normal
has become.”
According
to Freedhoof, father of three girls and a physician, a conservative estimate is
that his children are being offered an average of at least 600 sugar-spiked
calories of junk each and every week. Assuming a conservative 70 percent of
that junk's calories are coming from sugar, that's 26.25 teaspoons of added
sugar a week, or more than 14 pounds of the white stuff a year.
Maybe
26 teaspoons of sugar a week being offered is an exaggeration. But even half
this amount is too much. I see four main issues with children eating so much
sugar.
The
first is the development of a real sweet tooth, which distorts taste buds and
can lead to picky eating. The subtle flavors of many foods, including vegetables,
may not be appreciated. Health promoting foods may be refused, since there will
be a sweet available soon. Sweets are addictive, and if you start the habit
early on, it’s really hard to change later in life.
Second,
is the consumption of artificial colors, which are often married to sugar. A
study by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency in 2007 showed that the
consumption of foods containing dyes could increase hyperactive behavior in
children. Great to contribute to the classroom?
Third,
sugar is a concentrated source of calories. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, in 2010, more than one third of children and
adolescents were overweight or obese. The chance of an overweight child
becoming a healthy weight as an adult is very low. My concern is the related complications
they may experience, like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Plus,
we all know that sweets are associated with tooth decay.
We
should consider how to enjoy life and feel special with healthier choices and
less junk food. For example, maybe parents and teachers could agree to have
only one classroom celebration a month. Parents could bring in fruit and
vegetable trays and a small amount of cake. All with birthdays that month would
be recognized, even the children from families who are unable to contribute. Adults
should always consider nutritional quality when providing food for other
people’s children.
I
would love to get the opinion of the community on this issue, especially
parents and teachers. Please e-mail your thoughts and suggestions to me,
address below.
Margie
Mansure, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and extension agent
with NC Cooperative Extension. She offers personalized classes to improve the
health of citizens in Watauga County through worksites, schools and community
groups. margie_mansure@ncsu.edu., (828)264-3061
