Lindsey's Interview

I conducted my interview with Nicole Penney. Nicole is a fellow education major at Salem State University and focusing on early childhood. I thought it would be beneficial to gain another perspective from a future educator on the subject of child obesity and junk food in our schools systems.

Q: Do you think child obesity is a problem?
A: Of course. I think that our school systems are not putting a big enough emphasis on teaching students the importance of healthy eating habits. I have researched the work that Michelle Obama has been doing over the past few years and I think it's wonderful. However, I am not sure that it is enough.

Q: Do you think others in our community think this is a problem?
A: I do think that people are aware of the problem in our schools. But it doesn't seem like much is being done to fix it. I still see parents bringing their children to McDonald's and Burger King on a regular basis. Simply removing the vending machines containing junk food is not enough. Parents need to help us as well.

Q: What are the advantages to removing vending machines from our schools that are filled with junk food and soda?
A:  Kids will be much healthier if these vending machines are removed. In my high school we did not have snack machines. We were only allowed to purchase water, and Gatorade for drinks. We never really thought twice about this. It was always just seen as normal. I think if we start kids off without junk food vending machines, they won't ever crave it and it wont be an issue in the first place. If we start now, the students in preschool and kindergarten will not even know such vending machines ever existed.

Q: What are the disadvantages to removing vending machines from our schools?
A: People playing in sports may need high protein or high sugar snacks throughout the day would not have access to such foods. The economic factor also plays a role. I am not sure how much money schools make off of vending machines. However, if we do remove them, the schools may take a hit financially.

Q: Do you think parents or schools administration should make the decision on removing these vending machines and implementing a healthy eating program?
A: I think that the school administration should implement these changes because if parents do not agree, they can still give their child whatever food they want when they are at home. Therefore, the administration has every right to NOT give the students these unhealthy foods. If the parents want to give their child unhealthy food, they have every right to. However, the school administration should monitor what kinds of food their students are eating during the school day. Students spend most of their lives in a school setting so if the school can make a large impact during those days, students are more likely to make healthy food choices even at home.

My thoughts: After conducting my interview, it only further reassures my thoughts on removing vending machines from our schools and making sure students receive healthier lunches from the cafeteria. Nicole made many statements that almost sounded like my exact thoughts. I think that many (if not all) educators feel this way about childhood obesity. We see these students every day and I think that we need to do our best to make as big of an impact on them as possible. They look up to us and respect our opinions and authority. If we can teach them the importance of healthy eating habits, that is something that they can take with them even when they have left our schools.