Liaoning middle school wants students to ‘eat faster’, takes away all chairs

A middle school in Liaoning province chose not to provide chairs for students in the cafeteria, leaving thousands of students to eat while standing up. The students have had to eat this way for over six months, according to China Daily.
Pictures of the cafeteria posted online show students standing elbow-to-elbow eating their lunch. Many of them have to lean over the table or put their arms on it to eat. Around 80 percent of netizens said that it’s normal to eat without sitting in a chair.

School leaders explained that using chairs wouldn’t allow as many students to fit in the cafeteria at once, and making them stand would “force” students to eat faster and leave earlier, leaving room for other students. They then tried to reason that when students eat faster they have more time to rest, and that eating without sitting on a chair is good for digestion.
Liu Jingchun, a Chinese traditional medicine, expert disagreed. “The healthiest way to eat is to sit down instead of walk, stand or lie down.”
By Lucy Liu

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