Schools should focus on education rather than rely on profits from junk food vending machines. Healthy habits begin at home with parents, not schools, and banning junk food could harm school funding. While schools teach nutrition, providing junk food undermines those lessons and contributes to the obesity epidemic. In the past, school officials warned that vending machines with junk food threatened school lunch programs designed to provide healthy meals.

1. Opposing Viewpoints in
Education
A Ban On Junk Food May Harm School Funding

2. Schools should not rely on profits from
vending machines.
Instead of relying on the funds from vending machines that are
selling junk food to their students, the schools should be focused on
giving the students an excellent education. This will in turn impact the
funding received from the government which would then go towards
the school programs.

3. Parents should be held responsible for
teaching their children healthy habits.
Healthy habits start with the parents.
Schools should not be concerned with the fact that students may or may not go to
gas stations or convenience stores for junk food. It is not their business – though the
temptation is greater if the junk food is sitting inside a vending machine where they
receive an education.
The school's health programs no doubt benefit students, but, like education, it is
incumbent on parents to take responsibility for their children's well-being.
(Anonymous, 2008)

4. It is counterproductive to knowingly sell
children unhealthy food.
If teachers are educating students on healthy living and eating nutritiously, why
then do the schools feel it is important to provide junk food alternatives at
school locations?
The obesity rates are rising in this country every day. The schools should be a
part of the solution to the problem instead of becoming part of the problem.
Instead of junk food like candy bars and soda, the vending machines could
provide bottled water, granola bars, and yogurts in different flavors.
Schools should be setting a good example.

5. Vending machines dispensing junk food
undermine the school lunch program.
“During 1973 hearing of the US Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs,
school lunch officials warned that VMs that dispensed 'junk food' threatened to
undermine the school lunch program.” (Olver, 2015)
Many schools provide breakfasts if children attend the before school program. The after
school program generally provides healthy snacks.
School lunches these days are required to provide healthy choices to the students.

6. References
Anonymous. (2008, May 18). Parents should adopt schools' healthy habits. Honolulu Star - Bulletin, 13(139).
Retrieved February 1, 2015, from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/412454496?accountid=458
Olver, L. (2015, January 3). School Lunch History. Retrieved from The Food Timeline:
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html
Rosenthal, B. M. (2015, January 24). A Ban on Junk Food May Harm School Funding. Retrieved from Opposing
Viewpoints in Context:
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