Eat Right, Earn an iPod

TheMster writes "The BBC is reporting on the UK government's latest policy to tackle obesity - through offering iPods and XBoxes to pupils. The lucky lads and lasses of 29 Glasgow secondary schools will be part of the pioneering scheme, which utilises the newly introduced swipe-card canteens to create a system of the 'better you eat, the bigger the treat'."

Comments

Runners Up?

[LiquidCoooled]

Runners up in the competition get XXL t-shirts as prizes ;)

pioneering scheme...

[k4_pacific]

Nutrition... Free iPod...

Would this be a food pyramid scheme? /ducks

Free Xbox?

[filterchild]

Here, kids, we'll give you a reason to sit on your ass all day if you get up and excercise!

Outside food

[tmbg37]

Hmm, what happens when kids buy healthy food from the cafeteria, but also eat unhealthy snacks from home?

Re:Outside food

[MolBiolDoc]

There was an interesting study done with overweight kids in a metabolic unit that says a lot about how we eat and what it is doing to us. They split the kids into two groups, fed them all exactly the same amount of fat, carbohydrates, and protein during regular meals, but let them eat whatever they wanted between meals (and recorded it).

The difference between the two groups was high vs. low glycemic index....in other words, one group got carbohydrates that were absorbed fast (think prepared foods, instant oatmeal, etc.) and the other good complex carbohydrates (e.g. steel cut oats). Remember, the absolute composition of the diet was otherwise the same.

The kids that ate the simple sugars ate 500 - 600 more calories a day between meals, since the simple sugars induce a "stress response" and induced the urge to eat prior to the next meal. Those unhealthy snacks prime susceptible kids to eat more, and 500 calories/day in 7 days (3500 cal) is another pound of fat.

In Australia, they have the glycemic index on food labels. Our kids could benefit from that here.

Re:Outside food

[John Seminal]

Hmm, what happens when kids buy healthy food from the cafeteria, but also eat unhealthy snacks from home?

At least they won't turn as fat as quickly.

Say the school cuts out a 200 calorie pepsi out of the diet, and saves another 300 calories by baking the chicken instead of frying it, and offering a salad instead of fries. That is 500 calories, a pound of fat a week.

Toss in some vigerous PE classes, and that will burn another pound of fat a week.

Under those conditions, the kid could eat a big mac and suck down a milkshake, and he will still have a chance of not balloning to 300 pounds.

Plus, if the school encourages extra curricular activites, anything, the kid will have more of a chance to burn calories. Join track or basketball or even band. March around for an hour, or stand up for an hour. It is better than sitting in front of a TV with a bag of Freto's and a six pack of Old Style.

Rewarding healthy eating isn't inherently bad ...

[daviddennis]

but I would think this scheme would be exploited mercilessly by kids who simply brought their candy bars in from home, ordered the "good" food and threw half of it away.

If I can figure out that kind of scheme, a kid surely can.

D

Great

[Doomstalk]

So they can eat right, and then sit on their asses when they get their new Xbox. That's not self-defeating at all.

How smart

[ucblockhead]

Giving kids XBoxes so they don't get fat? That's a bit...counterproductive.

Now if it was an XBox wired so it only got power from an exercise bike...that'd be genius!

Interesting

[vga_init]

I think it would be interesting if this works out.

With a system based on incentive, the kids are going to have to buy certain foods in order to earn a nice toy. This can a child's eating habits on the basis of one or two meals a day, but that does nothing to preven them from filling up on junk at other times. Many overweight people who diet fail for this reason: they eat healthy foods IN ADDITION to extra junk on the side.

Eating healthy has lots of incentives that aren't obvious. People have a hard time realizing some key benefits of eating right, such as better health, more energy, and a thinner body, which is why these incentives tend not to work.

Substituting those for something like an iPod or XBox could give kids more drive, but only to earn the prize; the real benefits may only come as side effects, if at all.

We can only hope that such a program will help kids to develop a taste for healthy foods. I know from personal experience that eating something you find unappealing enough times will not only build tolerance, but actually lead to preference if done enough.

Re:Interesting

[LiquidCoooled]

Rmemember,

Eating healthy foods is not just for those who are obese.

I was 6 foot tall and weighed under 8 stone for a long time (into my 20s). Thankfully now I am more stable and have gained a few stone, but I know I'm not the only one.

I too hope it works, and that there aren't any side effects.

Another slight side issue, there is a famous English chef called Jamie Oliver, he has pushed for better school meals (because currently they are utter shite), and it is having major effects up and down the country, and those kids who have changed their school diets also push for better food at home.

I don't think in the majority of cases this will be a problem.

Re:Interesting

[MHobbit]

No kidding.

People tend to forget that eating right isn't the only part of losing weight/staying healthy. Exercise is an integral part. Now, if the people who were conducting the study added on exercise to this little "experiment", they'd hopefully get better results.

XBoxes?

[Mensa Babe]

"The BBC is reporting on the UK government's latest policy to tackle obesity - through offering iPods and XBoxes to pupils."

XBoxes? To tackle obesity? What else? A new TV set? Why not offer bikes and musical instruments instead of XBoxes and iPods? This is the most stupid idea I have ever heard.

Re:XBoxes?

[EnsilZah]

Wait 'till they unvail the Fucking For Virginity campaign next week.

Government and Obesity

[linguae]

Even though an iPod or XBox would be a very nice incentive if I were a kid participating in this program to eat healthy, where does the prizes come from? That kid's parents' taxpayer dollars. As a Libertarian, why should the government have to use the possibility of an iPod in order for them to eat healthy, or, better yet, why should the government even be involved in health issues such as obesity? The rise of obesity is a societal issue and it is best dealt with by society, not government.

In this particular case, if I had a choice, my taxpayer dollars should go toward the replacement of the school's unhealthy food items with healthy food. No bribes necessary; the kids would eat better. Besides, there are plenty of healthy foods; one can snack on fruits instead of chocolate candy bars, for example.

iPod-onomics

[clem]

And so the world takes another step towards an iPod-based economy.

A better way?

[Jane_Dozey]

How about eliminating unhealthy foods from schools? Sure, the kids can get it elsewhere but why spend a load of money (taxpayers money) on a scheme that has so many obvious holes it's unlikely to DO anything?

Eat right in whose definition?

[iamacat]

I hope they don't give out iPod photo for eating only grains and vegetables, because then many children will eat diet unhealthy for them just to get a shiny toy. Low carb diet is over-hyped, but it sure worked for some people. And if you are an athlete or have an iron deficiency, you don't want to skip red meat. I would never be in reasonable shape or have a good energy level if I followed the stupid food pyramid. Better to reward exercise and knowledge of health issues rather than specific food.

Re:Oh fuck you!

[timmyf2371]

If you pay your Council Tax to Glasgow City Council then yes actually it is.

Being a Glaswegien myself and having read all about this in our local press I think it's a truly brilliant idea. For those of you who are unaware of the reasons behind this, Glasgow and most of the west of Scotland is commonly called the "sick man of Europe" due to the high amount of fatty and junk foods we consume. By junk food I'm not talking about McDonalds, BK and their ilk but in fact such delicacies as deep fried Mars Bars and friend pakora suppers.

This scheme is designed to encourage Glasgow's school children to start eating healthier and to raise the average life expectancy of Glaswegiens which is currently the worst in the UK at 72.9 years, compared to the highest of 82.4 years.

In short, you might not like your taxes going towards incentives for Glasgow's kids to eat healthier but then again I'm sure many other citizens don't like their taxes going towards services that you use and they have no use for. Guess it's a two-way street, hmm?

Point is being missed

[Turn-X Alphonse]

Okay this is misleading. The idea is NOT to make them lose weight, it's to get them to EAT BETTER. The idea is this way kids will at least try fruit and other healthy options and hopefully stick with it. Most news channels covering it today had kids saying they liked fruit and would stick with it.

So this isn't "go on a diet you fat fucks" it's "try this, it's nice".

Its Simple.

[nighty5]

1) Just get rid of all junk food in school canteens.
2) Only deal with food distributors that embrace healthy eating.
3) Get rid of soft drink vending machines - period. (replace with water & fruit juice)

Re:The Schools are the PROBLEM!!

[blahplusplus]

You said: " But back to fat kids. Why do they get fat? Is PE so value-less that the bright kids no longer want to take it. Is PE a time when 50 kids sit around for 10 minutes waiting for the teacher to set up the game, play for 15 minutes, then get 10 minues to go back and change?"

I say:

Kids hate PE for a number of reasons, but many kids in PE are teased and bullied to death and thats why they want out of Phys-Ed in the first place. You got to keep the culture of fucked up and dominant asshole kids in the first place from from picking on those and shunning those less athletically inclined then they are.