Its Hard Out Here...when your brain doesn't like french fries as much as you do

We've heard it time and time again, "school is making our nation's youth fat." Not that this isn't frightening enough, but in order for there to be real change and any sort of progress, we need solid evidence right? There's thousands of studies out there that draw correlations between lack of nutrition at school and increasing obesity rates. What more do people need to make some serious changes and no longer dismiss this claim that so many are speaking out against? How about effects of poor nutrition on more than just the waistline of America's future, how about their ability to learn? The importance of a child's mind to not only be eager, but capable to retain information every day both in and out of school is tremendous. Lack of proper nutrition in the bodies of these young learners is a serious problem on both the physical and mental front, so it would only make sense that robbing their bodies of nutrients would inflict harm on the young brain's ability to retain information the way it was intended to. The source is split, because kids eat both at home and in school. Some would argue that there is no use to try and change the school meal programs because of the steadily increasing amount of kids packing lunch. But not every child is lucky enough to be able to do that, and some rely solely on school meals for nutrition. That must always be kept in mind, because they are the children who need proper nutrition the most and to be able to earn an education in order to rise above the plight of poverty.

So you must be saying to yourself, "that sucks for the kids who have to eat school lunch, the meal plan isn't looking half bad!" Well I'm sorry to say, but I have read countless articles here and there about this same "junk food coma" effect coming from these lunches and it stems from any diet lacking proper nutrition...and there are plenty of statistics on unhealthy college diets. So before you brush this off as your kid sister or brother's problem and not yours, take a second and remember that time you completely blanked out on the quadratic formula after you skipped breakfast and ate a snickers instead. Weird right? I don't know about you but if nutrition is the key to staying focused, recalling information easier and less likelihood of feeling awful about myself...pass me a carrot!

Diet & nutrition have an impact on how well children learn:

The Relationship between Nutrition and Performance at School

Conventional wisdom says that nutrient deficiency is somehow connected to poor academic performance. But why is this so? Quite simply, the human brain needs a large number of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and amino acids to produce neurotransmitters and other important brain compounds. A lack of nutrients can result in chemical abnormalities and missed connections.

Brain science is demonstrating that it doesn’t take much of a nutrition deficit to have a major effect. Brain chemistry can change as a result of a lack of a single nutrient, giving rise not only to diminished mental acuity, but also to mental/emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety, depression, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), drug and alcohol addiction, autism and violence.

If lack of nutrients can have these results, then can the plastic brain repair itself as a result of improved nutrition. The answer appears to be a resounding “yes.” As a result of changes in school diet in the early 1980s in New York City schools, the average performance of New York schools rose from the 41st percentile to the 51st percentile – a large gain that statistically could have no other explanation.

A more recent study from England of children with attention deficit disorder demonstrated the salutary effects of imposing a regular, nutritious diet. For a period of three to four weeks, the children were on a very restricted diet, generally consisting of: turkey, lamb, rice, potato, banana, pear, various vegetables, bottled water, sunflower oil and milk-free margarine.

The results were fairly astonishing. 76% of parents reported a worthwhile improvement in behavior. The rest reported no change. Equally interesting, for the children who improved, the subsequent introduction of food additives into the diet resulted in a deterioration in behavior for 70% of the participants.

All this goes to show that it’s not only true that you are what you eat, but that kids’ performance in school is likely to follow the type of food they eat. If they eat well, they’ll do well. If they eat junk food, they’re likely to get junk grades.

Parents who are concerned about the food that their children eat and who is looking for professional assistance may want to consider a residential program where kids are taught new habits, and trained to make much smarter decisions about food and nutrition.

Source: http://www.overweightteen.com/nutrition-school.html