Twelve-and-a-half-million kids in the U.S. are overweight, and Jordan Hari is one of them. But unlike most, Jordan, who carries about 10 extra lbs., according to his mother, is in the vanguard of a nationwide high-tech effort to fight childhood obesity. The automated cafeteria checkout system at his school uses a bar code on a student's ID card and a scanner to read the child's name, age, grade and any dietary restrictions. Parents can also access a Web site to learn what ends up on their kid's tray—and, if necessary, to order that sweets and snacks be restricted. "Jordan isn't getting the Snapples and Fruitopias that he used to," says his mom, Tina. "I'm not worried like I used to be."
Texas isn't the only place attempting to control the content of school lunches. As the number of overweight 6- to 11-year-olds has more than doubled in the past two decades—and with Congress urging schools to promote exercise and proper nutrition—districts across the country are removing sweetened drinks from vending machines, offering healthier menu options and even noting a student's body mass index (BMI) on report cards. The electronic monitoring goes one step further, even if it has limits—it can only control what kids buy in the cafeteria and is no substitute for self-imposed healthy eating habits. Still, it is "absolutely wonderful," says Janey Thornton, president of the nonprofit School Nutrition Association. "Parents can actually see what choices children are making. And kids are eating better. They know that if they don't, they're going to be caught."
Food monitoring technologies can be used to keep tabs on kids with food allergies and even on those who don't eat enough. Pearland parents Lori and Thomas Gyomali monitor their son Jacob, 9, who has ADHD. "He was buying large ice creams every day, getting hopped-up on sugar and getting into trouble," says Lori, 40, a school aide. "No more."
For the Haris, the wake-up call came three years ago with Jordan's annual medical checkup. His pediatrician said that because of his weight and the family's medical history, Jordan was at risk for diabetes, recalls Tina, 36, a senior accounting analyst for an energy company. "He said, 'You wouldn't put your child out in the middle of the freeway alone, would you? Well, this is the same thing if you don't get his eating under control.'" Later, when Tina and her husband, Josh, 38, a computer store owner, visited Jordan at kindergarten, they were shocked at what was on his plate. "It was a free-for-all," says Tina. "A hamburger, chips, a fruit drink, cake, milk and ice cream—everything he could find." That, she says, made her realize she needed to help her son "even when I wasn't there."
The Haris know that the monitoring program isn't a final solution. Jordan still swipes food from his sister Yazmeen, 6, who tends to under-eat. "We still can't be sure that Yazmeen isn't throwing her food away at school," says Tina. But Jordan's pediatrician says his overall health has improved, and her son, reports Tina, "is growing, active and doing well."
- Contributors:
- Alicia Dennis/Austin,
- Texas,
- Sandra Marquez/Los Angeles,
- Maria Eftimiades/New York.
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