4 YEARS AGO
Stigma, Prejudice, Discrimination, and Psychological Distress
Transgender people face systematic oppression and devaluation as a result of social stigma attached to their gender nonconformity. . . . This discrimination can be compounded by multiple stigmas and take on various forms: racial, employment, and economic; it may even be expressed in physical violence. . . . The minority stress model suggests that the stress associated with stigma, prejudice, and discrimination will increase the rates of psychological distress in the transgender population. . . . Social support, self-acceptance, and integration of minority identity can ameliorate minority stress. . . . Through coming out, people can overcome negative self-evaluation and learn to cope with the adverse effects of minority stress.
From AJPH, May 2013
4 YEARS AGO
Trans People and Providers
[T]rans people’s experiences with providers may play a role in their decision to access hormones from nonmedical sources. Efforts should be made to improve access and quality of services provided to trans people, and thereby gradually reduce the levels of fear and mistrust experienced by those seeking care from health care professionals. Providers should therefore be responsive to the needs of trans people, promote a trans-friendly environment in practice settings, become knowledgeable regarding the medical and social needs of trans patients, and not deny services that can be provided without solid evidence of medical risk or inability to consent.
From AJPH, October 2013
Frazzled. That is the word that described my state of mind after being present for a lunch period in a public school cafeteria. I did not eat a meal because I found the setting too rushed, loud, and stressful; and I am an adult, not a young child who cannot open my food containers without assistance. The school district in which I live schedules 20 minutes for lunch—meaning 20 minutes to get to the lunch room, go to the bathroom, go through the lunch line, eat, bus the individual’s lunch area, and get back to the classroom. Many children I sat with and across our district regularly have about 10 minutes to actually eat their lunch. At the school I visited, meal times are staggered at 10 minute intervals that are marked by whistles or shouting to notify students that their lunch period is over. These rushed and stressful lunch periods are not isolated to the district in which I live, but are rather common in our nation’s public schools. These experiences also stand in stark contrast to the lunch periods of students in other countries, including the hour-long lunch periods in France shown in Michael Moore’s documentary, “Where to Invade Next.”
SCHOOL LUNCH AND HEALTH
While meals served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are regulated both in terms of nutrition and eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, there is no federal requirement for a specific lunch length, and too few states have requirements or at least, adequate requirements. This regulatory vacuum allows lunch time to be sacrificed for academic endeavors in our performance oriented public school system. Importantly, insufficient length lunch periods have a significant negative impact on the health and well-being of school children.
Obesity, and specifically childhood obesity, is a substantial public health issue. Insufficient length lunches promote eating habits that may contribute to obesity, such as eating quickly or consuming more processed foods as opposed to fruits and vegetables. These ramifications of short lunch periods are magnified for children who buy their lunch at school, including those reliant on the NSLP, since precious lunch time is lost in the lunch line.
SCHOOL LUNCH AND LEARNING
Beyond the health implications of the NSLP, proper nourishment contributes to learning and academic performance. In fact, the NSLP was designed not only to combat malnourishment, but to provide an opportunity to learn about nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, food preparation, and social practices. Furthermore, lunch may provide an opportunity for students to learn about each other and develop conversation skills, fostering a sense of empathy. Insufficient time in the lunch room undermines realization of these benefits as such learning requires time for discourse, instruction, skills practice, and knowledge utilization.
SCHOOL LUNCH AND DIGNITY
Fundamentally, sharing meals is one of the most universal acts of humanity; how meals are shared communicates basic notions of human dignity. In too many cafeterias across our nation, the lunch environment more reflects the idea that children are products represented by test scores and graduation rates in need of brief, daily refueling, rather than intricate, capable, amazing humans full of unknown potential in need of nourishment, community, and opportunity.
The missed benefits of sufficient lunch length and the harms of short lunch periods are significant; ensuring sufficiently long lunch periods could be achieved by federal, state, or local regulation. Children deserve such protection so that they may eat at least one meal a day in an environment reflecting dignity, health, and education.