Caribou, Soda, and Junk Food

I really enjoyed this week’s reading because I could recall many experiences teaching where food direclty impacts my students and school. I’ve had experiences both in urban situations and suburban situations; while they share many similarities, I think there are some vast differences in the role food plays in their culture. I was very suprised that Walker and White mentioned eating disorders also becoming an urban problem, as my immediate thought on eating disorders turns to white suburban teenage girls. I think urban and low-income students have many other factors that impact their health. I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a household where family dinners were the norm. However, the busier Americans get, our health and ability to experience a healthy lifestyle suffers. I’m excited to share many of my thoughts and ideas in this blog.

In my experience teaching in an affluent suburban middle school, popular coffee drinks play a large role in making you “popular.” I admit, I would get my share of coffee in the morning to make it through the school day. With a coffee shop at almost every corner, it's hard to resist. Many times, I would run into my students grabbing a coffee with their parents! Caffeine addiction is starting in middle school. I recall many situations where girls would come strolling to school with a Caribou Coffee in their hand, begging me to let me finish it during first hour class! Many of these girls sported a Caribou Coffee in hand like an accessory. Ironically, these were also the girls concerned with their weight. Many of the girls reminded me of the image of MaryKate Olson with a thin body and coffee in hand. At lunch time, these girls would not eat healthy foods, but choose the fries or pizza at lunch and only pick at it!

Walker and White commented, “If girls come to school hungry, they will not develop to their full potential. When you are hungry, your powers of concentration are not sharep; your attention span is short.” (139) I feel that our education system and culture fails to teach young women about proper nutrition and diet. Many young girls today watch “America’s Next Top Model” and are influenced by the stick-think models. White and Walker stated, “Images of thin, beautiful, and successful women are constantly bombarding us, implying that while being thin begets love and success, being fat, or even average to large, leads to one being unloved, unwanted, and unworthy.” (131)

So what can change this? Do plus-size models have a place in our society? Many “plus-size” (which is really size 10 or 12; the average size of American women) models have been featured in magazines and on the show “America’s Next Top Model.” When they do make the cover of a magazine, the media makes a huge announcement about it as if it’s out of the ordinary to be normal size. I recall when Glamour Magazine featured 20-year-old model Lizzi Miller. I think it was fantastic that Glamour Magazine recognized and appreciated what most women look like. I only wish that this wouldn’t be considered a special feature but be seen regularly in all magazines. Perhaps if the media would show images of normal looking young girls, it would also become the norm for young teens. Perhaps if young girls saw women looking healthy AND happy on the front covers, they would not become overly concerned with being thin themselves….we can only hope.


Soda also played a large role in school. The previous school I taught at banned caffeine drinks in the soda machines. Interestingly enough, I remember the day in which I caught my favorite students selling special edition "Mountain Dew Game Fuel" from his locker for $5 a can! I took it from him and said that he can “look for it on e-bay!” More and more, kids have become addicted to soda and energy drinks and this has a direct impact on their school. They become hyper and wild in class from drinking it, and then by the afternoon crash and become droggy and tired. In addition, these energy drinks and soda can have a direct impact on obesity. Although the school can take a stand on soda and candy by banning it from machines, kids will still find a way to have it.

I have also been very much interested in the Documentary series titled “Unnatural Causes” which looks at how where you live predicts your health. Research shows that those living in urban settings lack the resources to find healthy food options. Within the average urban neighborhood, the only available options are fast food, which has significantly contributed to the health of people of low-income, immigrants, and minorities. If kids want something to eat, their only option is the processed junk food from the local gas station. As a result, school has often become the place where youth receive a healthy meal through free and reduced lunch programs. While cities fail to provide adequate policies about fast-food restaurants within a certain area, schooling and education have to step in and provide for students. Unnatural Causes


Assignment Ideas


When I taught history, I often talked about the role food played during World War II. I discussed invention of SPAM and how it replaced meat for the soldiers. Most importantly, I discussed WWII Victory Gardens and how women and children contributed to the war effort through gardening. I think that organic and locally grown products are making a comeback....slowly but surely. I am very impressed that our First Lady Michelle Obama has brought Victory Gardens back! She has created a community garden at the white house to teach young school children about gardening as well as providing organic food for the White House.

I also think another way to incorporate food into lessons is to explore hunger through a service-learning project. This would be appropriate on both a local and global level. Kids should understand why hunger exists in their own communities and solve ways to prevent it. I think for a geography class, it would be ideal to explore food distribution across the world and explore why there is an inequality of food and resources. In an economics class, kids could try to balance a family household budget and determine the difficult choices some people are forced to make in providing healthy meals to their families. Local Twin Cities Organizations such as 2nd Harvest Heartland and Feed My Starving Children do a great job in educating volunteers about hunger and how kids can help reduce it.