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The Effects of Children Eating Unhealthy School Lunches

In March 2010, the Associated Press reported that Congress was going to try to tackle the topic of unhealthy school lunches. The goal was to make popular food being eaten by America's youth more healthy. Currently, foods ingested by students contain too much fat, sugar and salt, according to AI Insite, an online magazine geared toward the education of culinary and other arts. Eating these items can result in heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

  1. Heart Disease

    • Some fat in the diet is needed to aid with vitamin absorption and other important body functions, but those processes are best served by eating monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats --- and in moderation. Heart disease, however, is more likely to occur as a side effect of children eating saturated fats, such as the ones in unhealthy school lunches, which include pizza and desserts. These foods are high in fat, sugar and salt, according to the AP article.

      Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are missing in the school lunch program, according to Rochelle Davis, the executive director for the Healthy Schools Campaign. This lack of healthier fare, coupled with the ingestion of higher fat, sugar and salt, increases the waxy buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, which can lead to heart disease.

    Obesity

    • Pizza, desserts and other high-fat foods are also high in calories that can contribute to obesity --- which can also increase heart disease risk. Obesity is a growing concern in America; rates are as high as 17 percent in the 2- to 19-year-old range, according to the AI Insite's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quote. Obesity also can lead health problems regardless of age.

    Diabetes

    • Eating a diet high in sugar will not only pack on the pounds, it will also increase the risk for type 2 diabetes. This happens because your body stores the excess sugar you eat --- and this sugar is turned into fat. At the same time, your ingestion of sugar is raising your hormone blood insulin levels. The insulin in your body also attaches and holds onto the sugar you ingest.

      Insulin in your bloodstream can also damage your artery walls by containing too much fat from sugar, helping cholesterol and fat build up in your arteries. In addition, eating too much sugar can compromise your immune system, says the A 2 Z of Health, Beauty and Fitness website.

    Significant

    • The bill proposed in Congress to address unhealthy school lunches, however, has been met with resistance from House Democrats throughout the summer and as late as September, according to Politico. The reason for the resistance is because of the program's high cost, initially estimated at approximately $8 million dollars. The Senate trimmed the proposed program to $4.5 million, funding it in part because of the White House's recommendation of a cut to the food stamp budget. But House Democrats are still not willing to approve the bill proposal.

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