Cash Registers Against Student Obesity?

from the it's-one-way-to-do-things dept

Apparently, schools in Houston are about to put in place a new cafeteria checkout system that will allow parents to set the rules on what their kids can and cannot eat. Then, if students try to buy something on the forbidden list, the system won’t let them. On top of this, the parents will then be able to monitor exactly what the kids did buy. Similar systems are already in place elsewhere, but the Houston project is getting press for being one of the largest. It’s an interesting idea, though, you wonder how effective it really is. It seems likely that the kids whose parents did not enroll them in the program, or whose parents are especially permissive will suddenly become quite popular as being the proper mules for buying forbidden foods. Still, it also makes you wonder why something similar isn’t created on a larger scale for adults? Imagine if your local super market was aware of your latest diet and warned you not to buy that container of ice cream.


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Comments on “Cash Registers Against Student Obesity?”

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14 Comments
!! says:

Re: Is this the schools job?

Idea!! Lets just put tiny chips in our kids stomach, so when they eat something parents can just hit a switch and shock the crap out of em….yeah.. lets do that, instead of maybe parenting, and teaching our kids what to and what not to eat. Then invest the money we’ve just saved into something like books and teachers?

JerCor says:

Regulate Eating Now!

Eating the wrong food is clearly a terrorist threat and we should tell George about this so he can get Homeland Security to put this idea in effect in all supermarkets and especially fast food restaurants. Very simple, just do a BMI on everybody and then the computer can proscribe certain foods. Then we won’t be the most obese culture in the world. Might even require exercise based on BMI: show your gym receipt before you can get an order of fries.
Great idea. Anything to avoid personal responsibility.

Andrew Strasser (user link) says:

A good laugh...

“will suddenly become quite popular as being the proper mules for buying forbidden foods.

Still, it also makes you wonder why something similar isn’t created on a larger scale for adults?

Imagine if your local super market was aware of your latest diet and warned you not to buy that container of ice cream.”

Absolutely hilarious.

giafly says:

Only affects kids with no friends

How difficult is it to get someone else to buy those cookies for you? I thought that was how most kids already get cigarettes and alcohol.

But if you are one of those kids with no friends, let me pretend to be the first bully who waves a (virtual) box of fries under your nose while chanting “Nyah! Nyah!”

thecaptain says:

Re: Only affects kids with no friends

With the lazy asses masquerading as parents around, there will be PLENTY of kids who are allowed to buy whatever they want off the list in any quantity.

I see a lucrative market for them.

They buy fries for a buck, sell em for 2…

Its a gateway crime for dealers! 🙂

Just a note: This program would never have worked at my school..we had 2 McDonalds, a Burger King and a KFC within a block…a little further we had a Pizza Hut and a Tim Horton’s donuts. Hardly anyone ate at the cafeteria on a regular basis.

dani says:

Re: Re: Only affects kids with no friends

How much can a child possibly eat at lunchtime in school anyway?

Food at school should be no more than 1/3 of a childs total daily intake, and they have 2 days off. Is childhood obesity really because the kid buys soda and an extra cookie at lunch?

If children are raised to eat right, are offered healthy food at home, and, most important, the parents spend some time doing something active with their kids every once in awhile I think the problem would solve itself.

Turn off the video game every once in awhile. Does anybody remember what school lunch taste like? I bought a slice of pizza everyday too!

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