Health and Student Services ESP —  Building a Quality Workforce

The Epidemic of Eating Disorders

What, how much, and when children eat is critical to their daily welfare and ability to learn. Consider the epidemic of eating disorders, obesity, and diabetes among school children. Many of these disorders were not recognized in school age populations 50 years ago. The causes of diabetes and other disorders are complex and difficult to isolate, but we do know that daily nutrition plays a crucial role .

These disorders pose a challenge for Health & Student Services ESP. It has been determined that 15% of school age children currently are "clinically obese," and diabetes in children is increasing dramatically.

At the same time, fast food chains such as Taco Bell, Burger King and McDonalds are more and more common in school cafeterias. Revenue from these franchises benefits many school districts' fiscal health, but the impact of this kind of diet on health and well-being of students is another matter. Health & Student Services ESP must monitor, recognize, and deal with all of the medical and nutritional challenges presented by the consumption of "fast food."

The Nutritional Tug-of-War

Student health faces a battle between fast food — which contributes to conditions like obesity and diabetes in children — and the popular salad bar that many school cafeterias now offer. Salad bars are generally healthy and nutritious. However, they are linked to a dramatic rise in anorexia and bulimia in young women and teenagers.

Recent studies done by the AMA show that these eating disorders are showing up in middle school girls as well. Again, the reasons for these medical challenges are complex and certainly not explained by a salad bar in the school cafeteria. Health & Student Services ESP professionals need meaningful training and information about which children are at risk and how best to contribute to their health and well-being.

To Section 6: "Body Art" — A Dangerous Fad