They're listening and watching!!

Our KIDS are listening and watching, that is. My 13 year old 7th grade daughter had to write a persuasive essay on her topic of choice for her english class. She chose the topic: Should Middle Schools Ban Junk Food?

I'm sharing this with you so you'll be encouraged that our kids ARE learning from us and our habits. They HEAR what we say, but more importantly, they are LEARNING from our actions. You've heard that actions speak louder than words? :) Read on......this is what she's learned from observing us talk about health and nutrition and though she puts up a stink that she has to "eat healthy" (said as if its a bad word :)) she's getting it. :)

So without further ado, here it is:

Persuasive Essay
by Holli Morrow

Did you know that U.S. teenagers are being smothered with unhealthy food choices at school? There is a proposal to ban junk food from middle schools. That means no pizza, soda, or chips owuld ever enter or exit the cafeteria door. In my opinion, this would be much better for teenagers because the population is becoming heavily populated with obese people. Danger to health, bad effect on moods, and growing avoidance of fruits and veggies are all reasons why junk food should be banned from middle schools.

One reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools ils because it has a danger to health. For example, posters around the cafeteria say things like, "Take care of your body, eat healthy!" but then they serve greasy pizza, fries, and chocolate milk. Right there the kids are downing almost six hundred and fifty calories! This is very dangerous to their hearts and they don't even know it! In the fruit bars they so "generously" provide, the fruit is warm and melted and usually has flies buzzing around. Some might argue that junk food is not a danger to health. However, foods like pizza and fries are saturated in fat and covered in salt, it has no real nutritional value, and is terrible for your heart and overall health.

A second reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools is because it has a bad effect on a teenager's moods. If you have had a bag of chips, there are no vitamins or nutritional value in that little bag, but is is full of fat and empty calories. Even if the bag says, "10% less fat", what about the fat that's still in there? Without real foods in their stomachs with protein or vitamins, kids get short tempered and ornery. Kids come home and fight with their parents or siblings, just because they are tired, sluggish and grumpy from eating unhealthy foods. You may say junk food has no effect on teenager's moods. However, studies have shown that teenagers who regularly ate fruits and vegetables were much less ornery and thought more clearly than those that ate a lot of junk food.

The third reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools is because teenagers are rapidly adding to the climbing number of obese people in our country. At the word "healthy", kids are turning away and running for the pizza. Just because its good for your health, doesn't mean its gross. Fruits like grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon are all delicious and good alternatives to sugary junk food. Vegetables like celery, lettuce, and carrots are sweet, juicy, crunchy alternatives to junk food, and have lots of good vitamins and nutrients for growing bodies. You may say teenagers are not growing in their dislike for fruits and vegetables. However, fruits and vegetables are picked at, and recent polls have shown that teens would rather have junk food than healthy food.

Three reasons I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools are bad effects on moods, danger to health, and a growing avoidance of fruits and vegetables. There is a proposed ban on junk food from middle schools. This means no pizza, soda, or chips would ever enter or exit the cafeteria doors. In my opinion, this would be much better for teenagers because the population is becoming heavily populated with obese people. Banning junk food from middle schools is the right choice.

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Don't lose heart, moms and dads! :) Keep giving them healthy alternatives and have conversations about it! Model regular exercise and offer healthy food choices because THEY ARE SOAKING IT UP, despite the rolling eyes and drama about "its so unfair that we NEVER have good food!!"

You're becoming a hero to your own kid!

Have a blessed week setting the bar high for your family! :)