A young girl eats a donut. Text, Junk food?

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Should You Be Banned From Buying Junk Food?

February 1, 2021

By Alessandra Potenza

Imagine going to a store and not being allowed to buy a bag of chips. The reason? You’re too young! That’s what may happen in one state in Mexico. It recently banned the sale of unhealthy snacks and sugar-sweetened drinks to kids younger than 18. Several other Mexican states are considering passing similar laws.

The goal of these bans is to improve kids’ health. Research shows that eating too much junk food can lead to obesity. That’s the condition of being severely overweight. People with obesity are at higher risk for health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But some people argue that a ban on buying junk food won’t do very much to change kids’ eating habits.

Should states in the U.S. also consider banning the sale of junk food to kids?

Our love of junk food is contributing to a serious health crisis.

About one in five kids in the U.S. have obesity. That’s partly because of all the junk food they eat. Experts say candy, chips, and soda can add a lot of extra calories to your diet, which can lead to weight gain.

Banning the sale of junk food to kids would make it harder for them to get their hands on unhealthy foods. Jennifer Harris is a researcher at the University of Connecticut. She says a ban would also give parents more control over what their kids eat outside the home.

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“Children don’t think about the long-term consequences of the food they’re eating,” she says. “They know something tastes good, so they want it.”

The ban would put salty and sugary snacks in the same category as cigarettes. Harris says that would send a clear message about just how harmful junk food can be.

It’s better to teach kids about making healthy choices.

Many people point out that parents—not kids—buy most of the unhealthy foods that children eat. Also, critics argue that banning the sale of junk food to kids won’t encourage them to eat healthier foods. In fact, it might even have the opposite effect, says Sara Dimerman. She’s an author and a psychologist.

“If children believe they are being denied something, they want it more,” Dimerman explains.

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Many health experts say there’s nothing wrong with eating a candy bar or cupcake every once in a while. They say that rather than denying kids junk food, we should teach them how to make healthy choices. That includes learning how to read nutrition labels on food and drink packaging.

“We have to teach children how to think, not what to think,” Dimerman explains.