Shorter Lunches, Bigger Waistbands
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By Emily Matthews
When people think of being rushed throughout their day, they often think of a typical office environment which encourages long hours, overtime, and minimal breaks that take workers out of the office. But children in American schools are increasingly feeling rushed during lunchtime, and that holds nothing but bad news for educators and their frenzied pupils.
Time Crunch Leads to Weight Gain
In a recent study performed by a masters degree program, researchers found that most children in the United States were given thirty minutes for their entire lunch break — a period of time that includes walking to the actual cafeteria, washing hands, using the bathroom, waiting in line for food, and eating. All told, American children have on average between ten and fifteen minutes for lunch.
That, according to most nutritionists, is a recipe for academic and dietary disaster. It has long been known that eating food quickly causes people to consume a far higher amount of calories than they would if they were to slow down and actually think about what they were eating. For this reason, children who are rushed through their lunch period are more prone to dangerous weight gain. Their fast eating habits cause them to overindulge during their brief lunchtime.
And while their insulin initially spikes and they eventually feel full, those same insulin levels quickly drop some time after eating their lunch and they once again feel hungry and unsatisfied. This, in turn, leads to the consumption of additional high calorie levels during a school-instituted snack time or after the child has returned home from school.
The Notorious “Sugar Crash” and Academic Implications
America’s schools are struggling to foster minds that are academically competitive to the educational outcomes produced in countries abroad. This process requires a few essential things: great teachers, well-developed materials and lessons, and students who are full of energy and eager to learn. Students whose minds are elsewhere, or are simply not functioning at their highest levels, cannot be made into scholars.
And that’s where the rushed school lunch becomes even more troubling. Consuming a large number of calories — especially simple carbohydrates that can be quite prevalent in school lunches — spikes the insulin of students but then subjects them to a detrimental “sugar crash” later. This causes them to be lethargic, uninterested, and uninvolved in the classroom. Which in turn, leads to a student population that is not only gaining dangerous amounts of weight, but is underperforming on standardized tests and losing their ability to remain competitive with international students in comparable grade levels.
What Can Be Done to Fix the Problem
The same nutritionists who have identified this problem with American school lunches point out that countries such as France give students between one and two hours for their lunch break while American students receive, on average, just half an hour. This longer amount of time means that students consume their food more slowly and end up eating far fewer calories. That means they’re healthier overall, and more academically-capable in the latter part of their school day. They have recommended that American schools use this same approach.
Conclusions
There’s no telling whether or not American schools will actually alter the way they approach student lunch periods, but the research is in: the current way simply does not work for students or educators. Until a change is made, school lunches will continue to be a burden on those they serve throughout the day. As one school administrator noted, American children have been taught not to enjoy lunch, but simply to get through it as quickly as possible without thinking about what they’re doing, what they’re eating, or how they’re eating it.
And that’s no recipe for success.
About the author
Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.
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Tags: Calorie Levels, Eating Habits, Educational Outcomes, Emily Matthews, Essential Things, Insulin Levels, Lunch Period, Lunchtime, Masters Degree, Nutritionists, Program Researchers, Reason Children, Snack Time, Sugar Crash, Time Crunch, Typical Office Environment, Waistbands, Waiting In Line, Washing Hands, Weight Gain
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