The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake for children aged 2 to 18 to less than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day. Exceeding this limit can have adverse effects on a child’s health, leading to obesity, dental issues, and an increased risk of developing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life. Moreover, excessive sugar consumption can cause energy spikes and crashes, impacting a child’s mood, behavior, and concentration, thereby hindering their academic and social development.
You can access the students’ monthly breakfast and lunch menus on the website. Our analysis of one day’s free and added sugar content revealed that children were already served their daily sugar limit before 8 am, which might surprise some.
While I understand that it’s not my place to dictate what parents and schools feed their children, as a neighboring member of the community, I can’t help but wonder if this excessive sugar intake is contributing to their unruly behavior. The children’s loud behavior on the playground and disregard for boundaries, along with the probable contribution to their declining academic performance, concerns me.
I firmly believe that if Sage wishes to enhance student behavior and performance, they should prioritize offering nutritious foods rather than heavily processed, sugar-laden junk foods. The evident connection between the students’ behavior and poor test scores mirrors the adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” For the betterment of the children’s health and success, I hope Sage will make necessary improvements.