How would you answer this fast food essay question about restaurants and supermarkets promoting their food products in schools?
- Do you think it is right for schools to accept money in return for encouraging children to eat certain types of food?
- Should children be exposed to this type of consumer targeting while at school?
- Should fast food be banned in schools? Or should fast food be allowed in schools?
Many fast food restaurants and supermarkets give money to schools to promote their food products. Does this have a positive or negative impact on the development of schools and the children in them?
Discuss both the positive aspects and negative aspects and give your own opinion.
Fast Food Essay
Many fast food restaurants and supermarkets give money to schools to promote their food products. What are athe positive and negative impacts on schools and students? Should fast food be banned in schools?
Clearly, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the concept of promoting certain types of food products within the school environment. While there is no doubt that there is an immediate financial benefit for the school involved, which may ease budgetary pressures, children of school age are very impressionable, and if the food products in question are of low nutritional value, then this is not in their best interests.
There are constant reports of education budgets being cut and even slashed in some areas, which creates pressure on schools to find savings in their operational budgets. The financial contribution, which in some cases may be considerable, offered by restaurants and supermarket chains in return for the promotion of their food products within schools may seem appealing as a means of mitigating such budget cuts. Indeed, it may allow schools to fund areas or activities they would otherwise be unable to finance. However, the primary concern of any school should always be the welfare of the children who attend it and not simply balancing its budget.
While not all food products are junk food or of low nutritional value, these types of food are always popular among young children. Therefore, there is a danger that the providers of such food, be they restaurants or supermarkets, actively push this type of food product because they know they will be popular with the children. While the occasional fast-food meal might have no real impact on a child’s nutritional welfare, frequent consumption can lead to health problems and nutritional deficits in the longer term. Therefore, schools willing to participate in such promotional schemes must adopt a policy of promoting food products that are nutritionally rich and balanced, to safeguard the welfare of their students.
Overall, there is nothing immoral or incorrect in companies promoting their products within schools; however, schools must consider the well-being of the children they are responsible for and their overall development, not only in terms of academic studies. In fact, the promotion of healthy well-balanced food within schools, whether paid for by third parties or not, should always be uppermost in the minds of those making policy regarding this matter.
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