Schools to track Fat Kids 24/7

From the Article:

Big Brother is joining the battle of the bulge.

A group of Long Island students will soon be wearing controversial electronic monitors that allow school officials to track their physical activity around the clock.

The athletics chair for the Bay Shore schools ordered 10 Polar Active monitors, at $90 a pop, for use starting this spring. Thedevices count heartbeats, detect motion and even track students' sleeping habits in a bid to combat obesity.

The information is displayed on a color-coded screen and gets transmitted to a password-protected Web site that students and educators can access.

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Teachers use hand-held computers to collect data from each student's wrist monitor during cl@ss then upload the information to the school computer system for storage and long-term tracking.

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"I didn't even know it was going on, and I'm active in the school," said Beth Huebner, of St. Louis.

Her son, a fourth-grader, wore a Polar Active monitor in cl@ss without her OK last fall at Ross Elementary School.

"We have gotten no information about the Web-site security or where the data will go," Huebner said.

"When you get into monitoring people's biological vital signs, that's a pretty intrusive measurement," said Jay Stanley, of the American Civil Liberties Union. "There are key privacy interests at play."

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A program like this should only be voluntary. Nobody should be forced to reveal biological indicators," he said.

"It's all about secondary use," said Virginia Rezmierski, an expert on information technology and privacy at the University of Michigan.

"Does the data pass along with the child from school to school? When will insurance companies want to get access to it? Will a school want to medicate a child that the monitor identifies as hyperactive? It's potentially very dangerous ground."

Full Article: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/schools_spy_on_fat_kids_HpPAgsKXPYjt1EWFfaNp9K?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

So, it's not enough that some schools now ban parents from packing their childrens' lunches, but now they want the ability/right to be "involved" with students outside of school hours?

While the intentions might be good, it just smells fishy. It seems a little bit too stalkerish.

All they need to do is find the nearest Fast Food joint to track them!

I wonder where people get such stupid ideas...

I am so glad to be out of elementary school because of crap like this. It's not the school's job to parent these kids. That should be left and kept responsible by the people inside their homes.

I am so glad to be out of elementary school because of crap like this. It's not the school's job to parent these kids. That should be left and kept responsible by the people inside their homes.

TheFatPerson

[spoiler] I agree with you [/spoiler]

[QUOTE="TheFatPerson"]

I am so glad to be out of elementary school because of crap like this. It's not the school's job to parent these kids. That should be left and kept responsible by the people inside their homes.

Jesus_on_fire

Well, i don't care what the schools say.

[spoiler] I love my hot pockets and vidya gaems. [/spoiler]

If its voluntary, it may be a good way to get some useful information about obesity and children. If it's madatory, then that's a little creepy.

If its voluntary, it may be a good way to get some useful information about obesity and children. If it's madatory, then that's a little creepy.

sonicare

I'd say if they are basing some grades on the information obtained from the devices, it is mandatory.

[QUOTE="sonicare"]

If its voluntary, it may be a good way to get some useful information about obesity and children. If it's madatory, then that's a little creepy.

Planet_Pluto

I'd say if they are basing some grades on the information obtained from the devices, it is mandatory.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This a is a facepalm moment if I've ever read one.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This a is a facepalm moment if I've ever read one.

"There are key privacy interests at play."

Love the way they phrased that :D

"How come Johny always has such a high heart rate 10 minutes after he goes to bed?"

expect suicide rates to skyrocket for kids.

Dare I guess a future upgrade model will feature the ability to give them a shock if they reach for something a teacher don't think they should eat?Treflis

This is why I don't like public education. Heaven forbid there's fat kids.

[QUOTE="Treflis"]Dare I guess a future upgrade model will feature the ability to give them a shock if they reach for something a teacher don't think they should eat?Planet_Pluto

[QUOTE="Planet_Pluto"]

[QUOTE="Treflis"]Dare I guess a future upgrade model will feature the ability to give them a shock if they reach for something a teacher don't think they should eat?surrealnumber5

I hope South Park does an episode about this.

No comment.

I reckon they should let the parents/guardians handle it.

Its always parents fault if their kid is fat

There should be very large tax if you have fat kids

Its always parents fault if their kid is fat

There should be very large tax if you have fat kids

Zurrur

Its always parents fault if their kid is fat

There should be very large tax if you have fat kids

Zurrur

Yeah, umm, this is p. sketch if mandatory.

Oh god its happening.

Stupid fat kids!

Umm... Isn't that the parents' jobs to check on their kids' weights?

I hate it when GameSpot messes up, and double posts AND doesn't count my posts.

What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.Jandurin

Only problem is that because kids apparently get hurt during physical activities, most parents will more likely sue the school

[QUOTE="Jandurin"]What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.Wolf-Man2006

Only problem is that because kids apparently get hurt during physical activities, most parents will more likely sue the school

What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.Jandurin

[QUOTE="Jandurin"]What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.surrealnumber5

thats embarrasing for the kids

[QUOTE="Jandurin"]What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.surrealnumber5

No. All women must be size zero and everyone should be in the mid range of their perfect BMI. Also everyone must dye their hair blond and blue contact lenses will be supplied to all those not of pure blood.

And what do grades have to do with people exercising.Jandurin

They're supposed to make fat people feel bad about being fat. Bullying works too, but we outlawed that.

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"][QUOTE="Jandurin"]What we need is enforced exercise regimens for everyone in America.Jandurin

everyone should be in the mid range of their perfect BMI. Also everyone must dye their hair blond and blue contact lenses will be supplied to all those not of pure blood.

tenaka2

A child being very overweight is the fault of one of two things

1 The Parents for allowing a child to eat so much and not work out

2 The school for allowing a child to be bullied(a key source for being over weight)

[QUOTE="Jandurin"] And what do grades have to do with people exercising.coolbeans90

They're supposed to make fat people feel bad about being fat. Bullying works too, but we outlawed that.

[QUOTE="coolbeans90"]

[QUOTE="Jandurin"] And what do grades have to do with people exercising.Jandurin

They're supposed to make fat people feel bad about being fat. Bullying works too, but we outlawed that.

Which is why we make them feel bad.

[QUOTE="Jandurin"][QUOTE="surrealnumber5"] or we could grade people on performance in gym again, OR, and this would be my dream case, we could stop giving a flying fudge about what other people do and how they live their life. surrealnumber5

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

everyone should be in the mid range of their perfect BMI. Also everyone must dye their hair blond and blue contact lenses will be supplied to all those not of pure blood.

Jandurin

Really? I dont see it :P