Research Paper

 The food that we Canadians eat today isn’t doing our bodies and good. The fattening foods like fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, pizza etc, is what Canadians usually eat everyday. This type of food can change our lives one way or another. And what’s more? These kinds of foods have gotten straight into our school lunch system. And what do the kids do about it; well it’s pretty obvious the junk food will reel them in into buying them. Now here are some questions that I’m curious about: Can these foods affect our children’s behavior and academic process in school? Boys and girls the following paragraphs will explain can these affect our children or not.

 Troy Micgill wrote this article which he stated that according to the Society for Neuroscience, recent studies reveal that diets with high levels of saturated fats actually impair learning and memory. Unfortunately, foods with saturated fats are often the most affordable and widely available in schools. French fries, sugary desserts, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and other cafeteria junk foods that are able to lower brain power before sending them back to class. Surprising huh?

The next article was written by Niel Vladimic. He wrote something some what similar to Troy’s article but still different. Popular meals in cafeterias for kids often include white and refined breads, fried foods, sugary sweets, and sodas; all of these meal options cause an incredible drop in energy. This will lead to drop in energy, focus, and successful performance.

 This third article was composed by Marsha Worthy where she states that today, 1 out of 3 kids is overweight. Therefore, while most American children may be taking in a great deal of calories, they may not be taking in any essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. This lack in vitamins and minerals leads to detrimental side-effects, according to Mary Gavin from the Nemours Foundation. Children with insufficient diets are reported to have more problems with health, academic learning, and psychosocial behavior.    

 The 4^th article sort of concludes to the article above. Written by Marvin Nasteson, he proposes that Malnutrition can result in long-term neural issues in the brain, which can impact a child’s emotional responses, reactions to stress, learning disabilities, and other medical complications. While foods are often readily available for kids, the foods are actually affecting their development. Not only are unhealthy foods proven to impact academic behavior, but research also proves that a poor diet also impacts a child’s attitude and behavior, both in and outside of school.     

Carl Czerny wrote this last article which talks about how junk foods can affect a student’s attendance pattern in school. Under-nutrition can increase how often the child maybe sick or ill. Overweight children also tend to have a poor attendance pattern than normal kids and increased tardiness.

 It is important that we make sure that our kids eat healthy not only at school, but at home and everywhere they go. Schools should try they’re best to replace junk foods with more vegetables and fruits. That way kids can eat healthy and can change the way they behave inside and outside of school. I really hope that in the future, junk foods in schools will be cut down and there will be a balanced diet in each and every s

Carl Czerny:  Early Child Development & Care; Dec2010, Vol.  180 Issue 10, p1337-1348, 12p, 2 Charts

Neil Valdimic:  Elementary School Journal;  Sep2005, Vol. 106 Issue 1, p21-38, 18p, 4 Charts

,Marvin Nateson:  School  Psychology Review 2010, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p240-257, 18p

Marsha Worthy:  Child Study Journal; 2003, Vol.  33 Issue 2, p99-115, 17p, 2 Charts

Troy Mcgill:  Educational Studies in  Mathematics; Apr2010, Vol. 73 Issue 3, p233-246, 14p, 5 Charts