Obesity in America is promoted in school lunches because children are given the option to not be healthy. If kids weren’t given the option, supported by federal funding and the schools. Many American food companies focus more on making money than the health of a child. Not only does an unhealthy diet affect a child’s health, but also affects their performance in school.

School lunch plates look very different in other countries: Brazilians eat pork with mixed vegetables, black beans and rice, salad, bread, and baked plantains. Italians eat local fish on a bed of arugula, pasta with tomato sauce, caprese salad, baguette, and some grapes. The people of Finland eat pea soup, beet salad, carrot salad, bread, and pannakkau (a dessert pancake) with berries. South Koreans eat fish soup, tofu over rice, kimchi, and fresh veggies. Grecians eat baked chicken over orzo, stuffed grape leaves, tomato and cucumber salad, fresh oranges, and Greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds. Ukrainians eat mashed potatoes with sausage, borscht, cabbage, and syrinki (a dessert pancake). In Spain people eat sautéed shrimp over brown rice and vegetables, gazpacho, fresh peppers, bread and an orange. Meanwhile, the school lunch plate in the United States may contain: Fried popcorn chicken, pizza, hamburgers, french-fries, nachos, mashed potatoes, peas, a fruit cup, and a chocolate chip cookie. The health difference is obvious.

Americans are often frowned upon in other parts of the world for health issues surrounding nutrition. It’s not entirely our fault though because there are no laws passed that would restrict the production of certain foods. We need to stand up against food industries and corrupt government agencies who make us obese just for their own profit.We can make a change starting with school lunches. If we can make them healthier, that would make a huge difference in America.