People have raised many complaints about our educational system over the years. From the massive workload it creates for teens to the poor sleep schedule it promotes, there is no shortage of reasons for students to be less than thrilled with how school affects their lives. However, an often neglected issue is the poor dietary habits school fosters in students. As teens grow and develop into adults, it is especially important that they’re eating nutritious foods consistently. Unfortunately, due to the early hours they’re required to arrive at school, many students opt to eat very little for breakfast or even nothing at all.
“If my mom has made something, then yes I will [have breakfast],” senior Alexandria Lee said. “If, by chance, I don’t have time, my breakfast will just consist of coffee.”
This may not seem to be a major issue to some, especially nowadays when skipping breakfast has become commonplace for many students as well as adults. But it is important to recognize the effects that skipping meals can have not only on students’ physical development, but also their day-to-day performance as well. Students that must go without breakfast will go through up to half of their school day without having had a proper meal. This can affect their ability to focus and participate in these classes which will harm their overall academic performance. This, in addition to the poor sleep schedule and great deal of stress that comes along with school, seems to set students up for failure when school is meant to do the exact opposite.
“Sometimes I just can’t focus,” sophomore Danny Shi said. “Because I’m so hungry it makes me tired, so I just can’t focus.”
