Peer Review Assignment Peer reviews should provide feedback to a peer on the criteria expected in the paper. Follow these instructions:As you read a classmate’s paper, address these criteria:Provid

Peer Review Assignment 

Peer reviews should provide feedback to a peer on the criteria expected in the paper.  Follow these instructions:

As you read a classmate’s paper, address these criteria:

1. Provide positive feedback, where appropriate, on the criteria.
2. Identify areas for improvement, where appropriate, and recommend improvements.  

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Recognize the elements and correct use of a thesis statement. 
• Recognize transitional words, phrases, and sentences.
• Identify effective sentence variety and word choice. 
• Identify positive qualities and opportunities for improvement in writing samples.
• Analyze the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, logos in writing samples and for incorporation into essays or presentations. 
• Correct grammatical and stylistic errors consistent with Standard Written English
• Recognize how to organize ideas with transitional words, phrases, and sentences.

((((((((PAPER TO REVIEW FOR THE - PEER REVIEW)))))))))-------------USE ATTACHED PEER REVIEW FORM

A Problem Exists: Regulations for School Lunch Programs

There is a serious problem facing the health our children today. As a nation, it is our responsibility to nurture and raise our posterity to the best of our ability, and we are failing. The quality of foods offered in our public schools are the work of Department of Agriculture, and a failing Act of Congress called the Health Hunger Free Kids Act. Just as we value any of our nation’s precious resources, we must value the quality of nutrition that our children receive; they are our future, and our prosperity depends on their success. Gone are the days of school cafeterias that cooked and prepared fresh and hot lunches. Gone are the lunch trays with the portion dividers, and the lunch line employee scooping hot chicken and mashed potatoes onto it, a side of vegetable medley, and perhaps some cobbler or cake for dessert. If the masses were able to witness the atrocities children are being served in schools first hand, they would be ashamed at where the regulations have led us. Across the country more and more children are opting out of the currently established program and choosing to either bring lunch from elsewhere or not eat at all. And of those that are still getting hot lunch, most of them are throwing it away. Regulations for food served in schools should be changed to provide fresh and healthy meals for children which will combat hunger, reduce obesity, and prevent disease.

Kids Are Still Hungry

Let’s face it; kids are always eating! Their bodies are little furnaces and require constant refueling for them to grow. For many school children it is not uncommon to consume half or more of their daily caloric intake while at school. Yet across the nation, school districts are losing money because kids are not satisfied with the quality or the portions they receive. In fact, it is not uncommon to see trash cans full of school lunches after a meal (Jennings, 2014). Since the guidelines for caloric intake set by Health Hunger Free Kids Act were lowered, many children who force themselves to eat the re-heated and processed foods they are served, complain that the small portions are rarely enough and leave more and more kids hungry. The lack of quantity and poor quality of food has even been brought to light by students across the nation on social media. In one video, students at Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas, made a video showing athletes passing out during practice because they are famished. In another scene it shows students eating foods which they have bought at the store and keep in their lockers (Jennings, 2014). More to the point, even though more and more children are throwing away their school lunches, or opting out altogether, average meal prices continue to climb. The point is clear, children do not like the choices that school meal programs offer, and they are left hungry at the end of the day.

                                       The Foods Served In Schools Increase Obesity

            There is a growing concern in our nation that our children are becoming obese. One of the primary causes of this pandemic is the types of foods which are served in public schools today. With options like hot dogs, tater tots, and pizza, it is not hard to see why many children are becoming obese. Foods packed with chemical preservatives, like hot dogs and other deli meats, contribute to poor diets which promote the increase of low-density lipoprotein(LDL) in our children. In a study of 1,300 sixth-graders performed by the University of Michigan, it was found children who ate school lunches were 29% more obese than their counterparts who brought lunch from home. Additionally, those children who ate hot lunches from school were on average 16% more likely to eat fatty meats, and 22% more likely to consume sugary beverages (Schanzenbach, 2009). The issue with the foods being served is that they are packed full of high sodium, high carbohydrate, while being deficient in adequate fiber and nutrients. These foods are mass-produced and chosen for their cost-effectiveness (Boehlke, 2015). So the question is why? Why is it that regulations set forth by the Department of Agriculture and the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act have allowed such standards to be permissible in our schools? With statistics from the Center for Disease Control showing a staggering 12.5 million children in the U.S are obese, undoubtedly there is a need for more healthy and nutritious foods for our young generations.

Foods Served in School Lunch Programs are Causing Disease in our Children

Lastly, recent studies have begun to unlock the link between foods that are served in school lunch programs and the rising rates of childhood disease. The causes are diets too high in preservatives, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol, which lead to stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The American Heart Association reports that foods high in sodium, which are found in condiments such salad dressings, and prepackaged foods, cause high blood pressure and stroke. On top of that, diabetes is on the rise in children by over 150% in the last ten years. This is attributed to unhealthy school lunches which contain high fructose corn syrup, and is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, studies have proven that kids who eat mostly processed foods are at a higher risk for fatty liver disease. Starches like refined flours, white rice, and processed grains cause insulin levels in the body to rise, which causes increased fat deposits in the liver and blood (Underwood, 2017).  So why are they being forced down our children’s throats at such an alarming rate? Is the cost benefit worth more than the future of our country?

In summary, it seems clear that there is a severe misdirection in the aim of our school lunch programs in this country. Every day across the nation children are forced to choose between the option to either go hungry or eat the foods which cause obesity and disease. What steps are necessary to protect the future generations of our nation? Is there a safer and healthier alternative to the food choices available today, and what role should the government have in its mandate? Given the current situation, it seems clear that regulations regarding food served in schools should be changed to provide fresh and healthy meals for children which will combat hunger, reduce obesity, and prevent disease. 

References

Jennings, D. (2014, Sept 11) First Lady's Lunch Program Leaving Kids Hungry and Wasting Millions Retrieved from https:/www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/first-ladys-lunch-program-leaving-kids

Schanzenbach, D. W. (2009). Do School Lunches Contribute to Childhood Obesity? The Journal of Human Resources, Volume 44 pg 684,691

Boehlke, J.(2015, Oct 23) Childhood Obesity and Elementary School Cafeteria Food Retrieved                    from   https://www.livestrong.com/article/519859-childhood-obesity-elementary-school-cafeteria-food

Underwood, C (2017, Oct 3) Diseases From Eating Unhealthy School Lunches Retrieved from

            https://www.livestrong.com/article/395372-diseases-from-eating-unhealthy-school-lunch