Ban on Junk Food

Obesity is one of the largest health concerns amongst Canadians. Many Canadians suffer from obesity-related illness. Thus, many elementary schools have placed bans on junk food to encourage and create healthy eating habits in their students from a young age (CTV). Some parents and community members are upset by this, as they believe these restrictions infringe on their free choice and ability to raise their children as they see fit. Others oppose these decisions stating that healthy foods are too expensive, and that these bans discriminate against low-income families who may not be able to afford to feed their children healthy foods (Paperny). On a larger scale, Health Canada recently proposed restrictions on advertisements for unhealthy food that are geared towards children (Gaviola). Do parents have ultimate authority over decisions involving their children, whether or not their decisions are healthy? Are these organizations overstepping their boundaries by enforcing such rules?

References

CTV. “Toronto school bans junk food from students’ lunch bags.” CTV News
16 Oct. 2013. www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-school-bans-junk-food-from- students-lunch-bags-1.1500394# (18 Sept. 2017).

Gaviola, Anne. “Food fight: Health Canada, advertisers argue over protecting kids from junk food ads.” CBC News 27 Aug. 2017. www.cbc.ca/news/business/ health-canada-junk-food-advertising-1.4251950 (18 Sept. 2017).

Paperny, Anna Mehler. “Going hungry: Why millions of Canadians can’t afford healthy food.” Global News 25 Mar. 2015. Last updated 1 June 2015. http:// globalnews.ca/news/1903255/going-hungry-why-millions-of-canadians-cant- afford-healthy-food/ (18 Sept. 2017).