[quote]
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The next time children in some elementary schools in Texas try to sneak extra french fries onto their tray in the cafeteria line, the eye in the sky will be watching them.
Using a $2 million grant from the Department of Agriculture, the schools in San Antonio are installing sophisticated cameras in the cafeteria line and trash area that read food bar codes embedded in the food trays.
"We're going to snap a picture of the food tray at the cashier and we will know what has been served," said Dr. Roberto Trevino of the San Antonio-based Social and Health Research Center, which is implementing the pilot program at five schools with high rates of childhood obesity and children living in poverty.
"When the child goes back to the disposal window, we're going to measure the leftover."
The goal of the program is to cut down on childhood obesity by providing parents and school nutrition specialists with information on what types of food elementary students are eating.
They will then be able to design healthy meals based on students' real-life habits, the center's spokeswoman Denise Jones said. Parents will also be able to use the information to help them design healthier meals at home.
"We will be able to determine whether current programs that are aimed at preventing obesity work, and whether they are really changing students' behavior," Trevino said.
Officials will receive information on the nutrient and calorie counts of the food children have actually consumed.
The technology will identify the food, capture the nutrient levels and measure the food that children eat, according to Dr. Roger Echon of the center, who designed the program.
Echon on Wednesday showed reporters a printout of the reading from one student's tray at W.W. White Elementary School. It listed the size of the serving, and its calorie, fiber, sugar, and protein count.
He said the program can break down the data into total monounsaturated fatty acids, soluble dietary fiber, and more than 100 other specific measures.
Trevino said the children will not be photographed, and only children who have the permission of their parents or guardians will be allowed to participate.
He said that if the effort is successful in San Antonio, the plan is to implement similar programs in elementary schools nationwide.[/quote]
[url]http://www.wtkr.com/news/offbeat/sns-rt-odd-us-food-cafetertre74c3ah-20110513,0,2775506.story[/url]
$2 million for fry watching technology.
your tax dollars at work
Better idea: Spend that money to make the food taste decent. No more fucking pickles in the lasagna.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;29806177]Better idea: Spend that money to make the food taste decent. No more fucking [B]pickles in the lasagna[/B].[/QUOTE]
:barf:
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;29806177]Better idea: Spend that money to make the food taste decent. No more fucking pickles in the lasagna.[/QUOTE]
Ew, are you serious? That's fucked.
[QUOTE=Apache249;29806208]:barf:[/QUOTE]
That's what it looks and tastes like.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;29806177]Better idea: Spend that money to make the food taste decent. No more fucking pickles in the lasagna.[/QUOTE]
no more fucking MAYONAISE IN THE GODDAMN PIZZA
[QUOTE=archangel125;29806217]Ew, are you serious? That's fucked.[/QUOTE]
Completely serious, I'm in Kansas but I can't imagine it's [i]that[/i] better anywhere else. When I lived in Wichita the corn dogs had a green tinge to them when you would peel the coating off.
[quote]
The goal of the program is to cut down on childhood obesity by providing parents and school nutrition specialists with information on what types of food elementary students are eating.[/quote]
They are eating the fat foods.
Now where is my $2 million???
Wow. As an American this is just embarrassing.
That's more expensive than kids stealing extra fries.
Actually our school lunches were sort of decent (not in terms of healthiness, though). Absolutely [b]everything[/b] was frozen food which meant we didn't have to put up with shitty cooking. Not to say our meals were tasty.
I live in San Bernardino, California by the way.
This is supposed to be a study that tracks behaviors, not a program that prevents theft of extra french fries.
Such a huge fucking waste of money.
[QUOTE=Redcow17;29806314]That's more expensive than kids stealing extra fries.[/QUOTE]
Read the article next time. You may have missed something.
I really want to visit my old elementary school now and see this technology in action. I miss those smashed potatoes.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;29806177]Better idea: Spend that money to make the food taste decent. No more fucking pickles in the lasagna.[/QUOTE]
Pickles in lasagna doesn't actually sound all that bad.
My old highschool had security cameras installed but I think that was legitimately for security.
We could, you know, feed them with that money.
Seriously?
They are probably cutting teachers, while they are installing fry watching technology.
We're closing down a school, and they get tatter cams. Cool.
I live in San Antonio. The food here is silly. Pizza and cheeseburgers are served everyday, the few nutritious sides, are in really small plastic plates. Most students don't even get them, instead they go for the (soggy) fries. Occasionally they switch it up a bit with curly fries.
I don't eat fries. I only like mashed potatoes. Those bastards have nothing on me.
THIS IS THE FUTURE GENTLEMEN
Houston is also closing down 4 schools by next year. Good money management Texas.
I don't eat school food, never have. If I don't bring my own lunch I'd much rather starve than eat school food.
You daily dose of fat-laden french fries has been served, now move ALONG.
It depends on the school district down there, HISD had a pretty shitty food department.
On the other hand KISD had a buffet when it came to their food. Shit was so good.
[QUOTE=OvB;29807275]Houston is also closing down 4 schools by next year. Good money management Texas.[/QUOTE]
Lol what? Sorry people are ditching out of the Houtson Independent School District and moving to other one's outside. Last time I checked KatyISD is in the process of creating 2-4 new schools(?).
Sounds like good money management to me.
Or if you want they can keep those 4 schools with hired teachers with scarcely filled classrooms, but that would be good management, right?
[QUOTE=OvB;29807275]Houston is also closing down 4 schools by next year. Good money management Texas.[/QUOTE]
Their position as the nation's "Most business friendly state" isn't helping either. (They apparently have the lowest corporate taxes, not that they pay them anyways with the loopholes)
I thought Texas was more of a Conservative state. How did this waste of money get through?
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
