Consumption Of A Well-Balanced Nutritional Breakfast Linked

A study done on preschool aged children and their nutrient intake and pre-academic performance, showed that when children were denied breakfast they displayed less accuracy on a variety of task that measure problem solving skills (Worobey & Worobey, 1999). These findings show that not only is awareness increased in students during the school day, but also assurance for

Academics, school behavior, as well as social interaction are highly connected to breakfast eating. Several studies done by the department of the National Institutes of Health found that 68.4% of children aged 9-15 who did not eat breakfast before taking a state test had decreased scores and concentration compared to eating a nutritional meal prior. (Adolphus)

Eating breakfast is important for the health and development of children and youths. Breakfast is the meal eaten in the morning. The word “breakfast” is derived from the phrase breaking the fast which means we fast while we sleep. A common public health message from reputable sources is that eating breakfast is important to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Starting a day with a good healthy breakfast would maintain a healthy body weight. Although it has been widely advocated that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there is no evidence that skipping breakfast will give immediate health effects. Breakfast skipping can be seen as part of the voluntary restriction of food intake

As adults, they are also at an increased risk for coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) compared with those not overweight as adolescents.” It is important to help reduce the growing trend of obesity in children and young adults, as it has been documented in recent studies that children who are overweight tend to carry this problem with them into adulthood. Revitalizing the school lunch program would be an incremental place for the government to start revamping the obesity problems that they have caused in children. David Satcher stated in HEALTHY and Ready to Learn that, “Well-nourished students tend to be better students, whereas poorly nourished students tend to demonstrate weaker academic performance and score lower on standardized achievement tests. The majority of U.S. children are not eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Inadequate consumption of key food groups deprives children of essential vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins necessary for optimum cognitive function (Tufts University School of Nutrition, 1995). Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brains most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge (Brown & Pollitt, 1996). In a 1989 study, 4th graders with the lowest amount

Eating a well balanced meal is crucial for someone in their early childhood stage. During this time period, between the ages of two and six, a well-nourished child can grow up to three inches and gain up to four and a half pounds per year (Berger, 2010). Children at this age also need fewer calories per pound of body weight than infants do. Since children need less food than they did before and many do not diminish the intake of their food consumed, obesity becomes a problem. The article “Child and adolescent obesity: a part of a bigger picture” states, “The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has risen substantially worldwide in less than one generation” (Lobstein, 2015). Obesity is a main factor that is present and can lead to other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The article also states that, “The food industry has a special interest in targeting children. Not only can the companies influence children’s immediate dietary preferences, but they can also benefit from building taste preferences and brand loyalty early in life, which last into adulthood” (Lobstein, 2015). Once children are hooked on the foods they eat during their childhood, they tend to follow those habits as they grow up. Children in low-income families are vulnerable to obesity because they rely on cheap fast food.

Cause 1: What causes the poor academic performance in children due to food insecurity is that they do not eat breakfast. The saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day is not just folk lore or a buzz phrase. The article by Sheila Terry and Kimberly Kerry, “Classroom Breakfast: Helping Maryland Students Make the Grade” published in the March 2000 issue of the Maryland State Department of Education, reports that “over a two-year period, classroom breakfast schools showed a 22% improvement in that score, [MSPAP test], compared to a 13% improvement for control schools

School lunches, curriculum focus, and daily activities have changed in elementary schools over the years. The nutritional value in school lunches often meet a bare minimum. Curriculum is focused strongly on idealistic future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; but often forget teaching basic healthy habits needed for lifelong health. Physical education is no longer required every single day. Obesity has become an epidemic and not just for adults, it is increasingly affecting children as well. Children spend a generous amount of time in the classroom. They spend more time in school than at home or anywhere else. Therefore, schools have a responsibility in preventing obesity in adolescents by teaching them healthy habits, serving them nutritious food, and providing them with adequate physical activity.

The importance of a healthy breakfast cannot be underestimated. A child who is undernourished in the morning will not be functional for her class until lunch. Also, schools can act as supporters of positive, healthy behaviors by offering nutritious breakfasts such as fruit and yogurt, versus the fast food breakfasts some adolescents might grab, if they get breakfast at all. Many school districts are beginning earlier and earlier in the day, and students are simply not hungry enough or do not get up early enough in the morning for breakfast, leaving them starving by 10am. Being able to grab breakfast in study hall can thus prevent many potential academic and nutritional problems.

I see poor nutrition and low birth weight affecting students in my classroom more and more. There are many programs within districts to try to help offset the problem of poor nutrition. Our school has voted to implement breakfast in the classroom this fall. This program will allow every student in my class to have access to free breakfast every day. I used to keep extra food on hand in my classroom for students who would inevitably complain about not having had breakfast. A study on the breakfast program found that “There is significant evidence of positive academic effects due to breakfast consumption” (Benefits, 2010). This program is one way that we can help our students to have the nourishment they need to be able to learn and

The goal of any educational institution should be to have postive impacts on the whole child. Nutrition is one aspect of the whole child that schools could improve upon. For a variety of reasons, there is a disconnect between the educators of a school building and those responsible for student’s nutrition. At school, students have a unqiue opportunity to make decisions about their nutrition, with the assistance of their parent in some cases. The following literature review investigates the National School Lunch Program in its effects on childhood obesity. The workshop to follow offers a plan to help impact childhood obesity through family education.

“The School Breakfast Program (SBP) was established in 1966 as a two-year pilot project designed to provide categorical grants to assist schools serving breakfasts to nutritionally needy children” (United States Department of Agricutlure Food and Nutrition Program, 2013). It served over 80,000 for $573,000 in its first year, and now the federally funded program funds 89,000 schools and institutions to provide meal programs. In 2012, ten million children received free or reduced priced breakfasts with over 12.9 million children participating daily which costs over $3.3 billion (United States Department of Agricutlure Food and Nutrition Program, 2013).

Children who regularly skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight, have difficulty paying attention in the classroom, perform poorly on tasks requiring concentration, and achieve

Feeding your child the right foods and the right amounts of food is very important for their educational success. A study at the University of Cape Town proves that children with an unhealthy or unsubstantial breakfast find it challenging to concentrate in classes.

Family life did a study in 1997 and discovered that the score of standard mathematics of students who ate breakfast was 13 points higher than the students who didn’t. (Logos)

My target area began as a focus on eating more in general. The food available at PSP was not always ideal, many times the food was either unhealthy or there simply weren’t enough options that I enjoyed. As a result, I noticed that my weight began to significantly decline and I desperately wanted to allay this problem. After completing my log sheets over three weeks, I came to the realization that the bulk of my missed meals came in the morning. I would sleep until eight to make sure that I received adequate sleep, however, I realized that in doing this; I was forgoing breakfast which was negatively affecting my health and my performance at Cornell. In fact, “research involving adults and children has indicated that breakfast might enhance memory, attention, the speed of processing information, reasoning, creativity, learning, and verbal abilities” (Consumer Reports). No matter a person’s age, breakfast is a vital part of their life.