The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States is at an all-time high, with nearly a third of all children and adolescents now considered overweight or obese (Ogden 2011). Whether or not schools should be able to sell junk food is a very controversial topic. In the United States, more than half of the population of each school buys their lunch in their school cafeteria. Additionally, many elementary school students don't know the difference between good and bad things to eat, so they rely on their school to feed them. Snacks high in sugar, sugary drinks, and snacks high in saturated fat are children's favorites. In most cases, when faced with a decision, a child will undoubtedly prefer a bag of chips to an apple. The reasons why junk food should be regulated in school cafeterias are overwhelming. Bad eating habits developed at a young age have real consequences on health throughout life. School is where children spend most of their time and it's where we lay the foundation for healthy habits. To better understand my position, we will examine the most common opposing arguments.1. It is the responsibility of parents to decide whether their child needs junk food or not. Some argue that removing these snacks from schools takes away parental rights, but a parent should want what is best for their child. No parent wants their child to become obese and end up with various health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Parents obviously do not have bad intentions and are not trying to cause health and image problems for their children. The problem is that parents lack the knowledge and education to end obesity. Children deserve to be guided to the best p...... middle of paper ......K., & Flegal KM (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association, 311(8), 806-814 Roizman, Tracy . “The reasons why eating junk food is not good.” Healthy food. Demand Media, and Web. April 30, 2014. .Trogdon JG, Nonnemaker J, Pais J. Peer effects on adolescent overweight. Journal of Health Economics. 2008;27(5):1388-1399. Tavernise, Sabrina. “Study links healthier weight in children to strict school snack laws.” The New York Times. The New York Times, August 12, 2012. Web. May 14, 2014. Codey, Richard. “Should States Ban Junk Food in Schools?.” Scholastic publishes literacy resources and children's books for children of all ages. The New York Times Upfront, June 10, 2006. Web. May 14 2014.