American Value

Although it’s not brought up often in conversation, a known value of the United States is wellness of children. From Michelle Obama’s health campaign, “Let’s Move!”, to the “Got Milk?” campaign, healthy lifestyles in the children of America is a core value of our nation. Past president Obama even passed the Every Student Succeeds Act and The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which allowed more accessible funding for Physical Education and healthy food in schools. But is the value of a healthy lifestyle being seen in kids everyday lives? In new trier when you go to check out with your lunch in the cafeteria, there is a cart packed full of an assortment of snacks. From bottom to top, there is a variety of chips and candy bars to choose from. Yes, there is a selection of granola bars, but they are wedged in the corner and only amount to a tenth of the total snacks available. But this issue isn’t just found in the New Trier cafeteria, it can be seen all across the United States. Along with unhealthy lunch food, lack of enforced physical wellness for kids is being seen. Only six states require physical education in grades K-12. For a country so focused on healthy kids, 12% sounds like a very small number. Furthermore, according to hhs.gov, “only one in three children are physically active every day”. In conclusion, while the perceived notion of the United States’ attention to the wellness of kids is supported in the big picture, a closer look reveals the unhealthy daily lives these kids are enduring.