students rated the food quality as poor, a central factor affect participation. Sixty-four percent of the students said they would participate in school lunch if the quality of the plate improved. Again, forty-three percent of the students rated the food variety as poor. Seventy-three percent said they would be more likely to participate if the food variety improved. Another central factor affecting participation was the length of the lunch period. Eighty-two percent of students claimed that lunch is too short, and the wait in food lines is too long (Marples). The results of this study show that school lunches may not be the ones to blame for childhood obesity. Furthermore, based on the students’ favorite foods served at school, public schools are serving fattening foods in high frequency, which might be a …show more content…
“Competitive foods include all foods and beverages sold on school grounds that are not part of a federally supported meal (eg, à la carte foods sold in the cafeteria, vending machines, school stores, fund-raisers)” (Long 479). Typically, competitive food items are unhealthy snacks, as they are high in fat, sugar, and salt. Their study showed that students purchase at least one competitive food item a day. The availability of competitive foods is directly related to eating fewer amounts of fruits, vegetables, and milk. Those students who participate in the National School Lunch Program consume more fruits, vegetables, and milk and less competitive foods (Long 479). This shows that, while not all research agrees, some studies indicate that schools are serving more nutritional food at lunch, helping combat childhood obesity. Additionally, the study implies that “competitive foods” do contribute to the soaring childhood obesity rates; therefore, these types of foods should be removed, as children are purchasing them