Healthy Foods= Healthier Choices

            A major problem in the United States is obesity. Obesity is affecting people of all ages, but especially kids under the age of eighteen. The parents are to blame, but most of these kids eat at school. Shouldn't schools also be blamed for these kids gaining weight? Schools seem to be responsible for kids gaining weight because of their unhealthy food selections. They always claim that they serve “healthy food,” but in reality they serve unhealthy food. Kids seem to enjoy this food but also they are gaining weight.  

            When I was fourteen I weighed more then I was supposed to. I was overweight at that time. My daily routine was eat breakfast and lunch at school. I remember always eating honey buns for breakfast and a chicken patty for lunch with a bag of chips. They did offer fruit but it was only given to you if you asked for it. I realized I was gaining weight when I tried on a shirt that was a size Large and it fit tightly. I felt bad because my lifestyle was unhealthy due to the food I was eating. My sophomore year was the year I lost weight. I decided to stop eating food from school. That year, I went from a Large to a Small and one hundred and fifty pounds to one hundred and thirty pounds. It seemed that my weight issues were due to the unhealthy school food.

            For the past two weeks at school I have been experimenting to see what teenagers enjoy eating, and for every ten kids only two, at most, seemed to actually eat their vegetables or fruit. The rest would either get it and throw it away or not even bother looking at it. The cafeteria serves pizza and chicken patties the most. I have to admit they are delicious, but they are unhealthy choices. Schools make us believe that their food is healthy but it is actually unappetizing and not healthy.

  My question is what are the principals, the school districts, and even the president doing about this issue that is affecting millions of American children. Obesity is one of the main problems America has going on and in order to stop it there should be more healthy options offered at school. Michelle Obama seems to be one of the political leaders most concerned with obesity and has her own campaign against it. She seems to really be stepping up to the game and other leaders should follow her. If more people get involved with her campaign, we will see a change in child obesity rates in America.

Karina Aguayo