Weighing in on schools and teen health

There always seems to be some type of news item declaring that obesity is on the rise in children and teenagers, giving an impression that only a minority of young people are making healthy choices. Schools now measure their students' BMI (body mass index) and try to eliminate unhealthy foods from their cafeterias. There also is immense pressure from the media and society at large for teens to be slim.

There has been some controversy among students about their schools getting involved in their personal fitness, but some teens think that their schools assisting in their well-being is not entirely a bad thing.

"I don't necessarily think Lancaster Catholic is overly concerned with students' weights. I think the administration's concern is reasonable, considering current obesity rates in the United States," said Ann Trachte, a former Lancaster Catholic High School student who is now attending Linden Hall. "Some of the measures they have taken to combat obesity may have been unpopular, but to me they are also understandable. In my early years at LCHS, I saw students wolfing down pizza, fries and a sugary drink for lunch every day; although I love and eat junk food as much as the next teenager, I wondered how they could possibly stay healthy while eating it continuously.

"Not all that much has changed," she continued. "Pizza is still available every day, as well as sweet drinks, an array of snacks and various ice cream products. I just don't feel that LCHS has gone overboard in concern with students' weights. The changes made were fairly small ones, and I think the effect has been beneficial."

Anthony Fissel, a senior at Ephrata High School, did not mind his school checking his BMI, but he did have some issues with their policies.

"At the beginning of the year they check our Body Mass Index. They do it in another room so you're the only one who knows it," Anthony said. "My biggest problem with Ephrata is they are slightly hypocritical. They claim they want their students to be healthier, so they make gym mandatory all four years of high school taking away possible class choices for students. At the same time they fill the lunch lines with really unhealthy food. We had pizza three times a week last year, and since pizza is the moneymaker, they normally don't put good food next to it. So a lot of people tend to go for the pizza."

When asked if schools were getting too involved he stated, "I think schools mean well, but once again they are overstepping their boundaries."

That was a sentiment with which Avry Martin, a senior at Warwick High School, could also agree.

"If the school were to take it any farther like posting that information online for parents or trying to intervene, I would find it violating. It's when the school begins to act like the child's parents that it becomes a problem, when they think they know what's best for the student," Avry said.

Avry also believed that the pressure from society urging young people to remain slim could have negative effects.

"Society pressures kids and teens to fit a molded form, but they don't enforce fitness. At least for women most public women images are of models and actresses. So young girls see the models and feel they need to be a size 2. They don't see that their size may be healthy."

Anthony agreed there was pressure from society, but he did not think it was particularly harmful.

"I think our society puts pressure on (weight) mainly because we have a very unhealthy diet system, but I believe it should be a person's personal choice whether they diet or not," Anthony said.

Source : http://articles.lancasteronline.com