Should junk food be banned completely in and around schools?

Should junk food be banned completely in and around schools?

Introduction:

Delhi high court has called for restriction of junk food in and around schools to ensure healthy eating habits in children. The centre for Science and Education had called for a complete ban on junk food in schools to prevent children from high risks of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The high court has directed the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) to frame guidelines for making available wholesome, nutritious, safe and hygienic food for schoolchildren in India. But the question here is whether this will prevent children from junk food cravings or simply restrict them while they are in the school campus? Shouldn't the court implement complete ban on junk food for children across the country?

Yes:

1. The future of our country lies in the hands of children and we would like to give them a healthy body and mind to make the future better and brighter. Children cannot be expected to understand the bad effects these food have on their health but we elders do and it is our responsibility to ensure that we keep away all harmful food items. Obesity owing to fat content in the junk food has been to slow down the development to children.

2. Diabetes has been such a hurdle in the happy lives of children subjected to insulin injections on a daily basis. Speaking from personal experience, my brother is diabetic since he was 10 years old; earlier he could not abstain from junk food for they were available even in school canteens and now he is bound to abstain from them anyhow. Medical science has been exceptionally helpful in making lives better for diabetics but the pain of seeing your dear ones enduring the pain of syringes every day is awfully bad.

3. Children are not the best judge when it comes to health and sweetened drinks, processed fat and salt. At home it is responsibility of parents who do their best to provide nutritious, wholesome food to children but in schools children had the free will to buy whatever they craved. Now that the schools will be restricted to ensure that children do not get these kind of food within 50 meters radius, we expect children to be eating healthier than before.

4. Now that it is the onset of summer, carbonated drinks and ice-creams would be the unavoidable favourites of children and adults alike. We cannot expect children to abstain from cold-drinks and ice-creams completely hence a complete ban cannot be called for. The best idea is to maintain how much of these can be counted in the safe limits for children and accordingly schools along with the coordination of parents and canteen organizations determine how much children can have these junk food.

No:

1. A sudden ban on junk food will be shocking to those who are already very used to having these kind of unhealthy processed food. A complete ban would be a very strict step and might have averse effects. Children will crave for chips and carbonated drinks and if they do not find these available within reach, they might want to explore other areas where they could get these without much trouble. It's a proven fact that teenagers in their rebellious age want to try those things that are not within reach.

2. More than banning junks, it is necessary that we convey a positive message to children about the harmful effects that these junk food has upon their health. The approach is important just as in Britain the people are not stopped from having processed fat and salt but are educated on why these are not good for their health. Through workshops and educational campaigns both parents and children should be educated on how these packed food can deteriorate their health to beyond repair.

3. It is difficult to abstain completely from junk food, especially when we have given up to having these kind of food available at home most of the time. Bust lives have made parents lazy enough to pay heed to what they are keeping within reach of children. Even if junk food is banned from school premises or in the nearby areas, there are chances that children will have these kind of chips and cookies stored at home. Restricting will make parents aware of the ill effects these processed fat, salt and sugar have on their children and they can together draw limits on these kind of food.

4. Owing to the fact that packed food industry is one of the leading contributor to the economy of the country, it is difficult to put a complete ban on these food products. The HC has definitely considered the matter in a sensible manner before passing the judgement. Lives lost due to cigarette smoking has been on the rise for a long long time but a complete ban could not be imposed even on such products which are directly harmful to health and environment. Expecting a complete ban would be asking too much from the government.

Conclusion:

It is clear that imposing a complete ban is difficult in 500 meters radius as the petition called for but banning within school campus and nearby areas should be enforced strictly. Parents must be informed of this act and should be made to understand the importance of healthy eating, especially in rural areas where food hygiene is a big problem. Government aided schools mostly need to pay heed to this rule for they are the ones that mostly have been overlooking the need for healthy and safe eating for children. Hawkers are not usually seen outside private schools but outside government schools, there a huge rush for these kind of unhygienic and unhealthy food.