Big mother is watching kids' lunches

Remember the days when cafeteria lunches always had at least one or two treasures in otherwise less-than-appetizing offerings? Thanks (or no thanks) to clever online systems like MealpayPlus and ParentOnline, kids can be banned from those delectable desserts and forced to ingest the nauseating tuna surprise. Pre-payment operations allow parents to choose what items can be chosen by their children, what quantities can be consumed, and what foods cannot be taken. If a rebellious student attempts to purchase a prohibited item, the cashier is alerted and the item must be returned, much to the child's dismay. Schools across the nation are allowing for proactive parents to take advantage of the plans in an attempt to curb childhood obesity and to make lunch lines move faster -- nearly 1.5 million hungry kids will be kept in check during lunch time when school resumes this fall. But as always, kids will be kids, and the hackers of tomorrow are learning the tricks of the trade early-on: according to a research study, 73 percent of 8-12 year-olds are throwing out part of their lunches at least once a week, while a commendable 36 percent are bartering bazaar-style to get what they want. While programs like these have a solid premise, we envision kids making friends for more than just social reasons as middle-school cafeterias turn into fast-paced trading blocks to circumvent the system as connector children smuggle in junk food from the outside world. Or maybe we're just letting our imaginations get away with ourselves again.

[Via Slashdot]

[PacketMonkee @ Aug 1st 2006 3:45AM]

Why does no-one think that if the child is overweight because of a mental disorder (re: eating disorder), then it's probably half the fault of these "proactive" parents in the first place!

[jonah @ Aug 1st 2006 4:34AM]

At my middle school kids got their junk food from a nearby corner store.I don't see how this system could prevent kids from taking their allowance to such a store.

Besides, when has taking anything away from a child ever stopped them from getting it. It really only encourages children to become devious and try to "hack" the system.

A real solution would be simply to educate the children and the parents, and make sure the parent reinforces healthy food choices at home.

Better yet, why not make a nutritious lunch at home? Problem solved.

[David @ Aug 1st 2006 5:13AM]

The reason the kids are so drawn to the unhealthy food is that the healthy alternative tastes horrible. I graduated from High School is '04, and I'll testify to the fact that the only edible food was pizza and french fries. My entire senior year I never ate in the cafeteria. Also, all the places around the school were fast food restaurants. Plus, even with the one healthy place, there wasn't time to order and eat. School lunches cost almost as much as a meal at off campus places. So why not have restaurants such as Jason’s Deli provide food to the school. This would reduce costs for the school; it would cut down on staff and maintenance for the stoves and other equipment. With the money saved, you could help the poorer students by paying for part of their meal. Plus it also helps the business, which in turn helps the local economy, which creates more revenue, which generates more taxes, which go back to the school…am I missing something here? Please tell me what you think.

[Eli @ Aug 1st 2006 5:14AM]

I'm not sure it's even worth repeating the same thing I post every time one of these inventions comes out. If you have to use it, you're admitting your failure as a parent.

Kids trading away their lunches is nothing new, this just gives them a better reason to do it.

[Pal @ Aug 1st 2006 5:31AM]

Ever think of exercise? Add an hour to the school day by working out (perhaps two 30-minute sessions). It'll do everyone good; including the child's physical and mental health, and of course, one more hour of freedom for the parents.

[1337 @ Aug 1st 2006 9:21AM]

@jonah wrote: "A real solution would be simply to educate the children "

educate the children? at school??? wow thats a great idea!!

[Sidd @ Aug 1st 2006 9:32AM]

this is stupid
if the parents dont teach their children to eeat healty food, it because hteey are lazy. SO why wouldthey take the time to set up one of these things. Anyways,a kid could pay someone else to buy the food they want for them. And after middle school, there is no mandatory exercise except one semester of PE. This problem of obesity is everybody's fault, the children included. The kids know when they're fat and when they're not a they should try to do something about it. The parents are lazy, and the schools dont have the resources usually.

[1337 @ Aug 1st 2006 10:05AM]

sidd,

you bring up a good point about school not having the resources. when i was in school they cut most of the sports teams to save money.

where i live now (different state) they just raised my taxes to help pay for another 6 figure a year a-hole admin guy while cutting back on sports and after school activities.

a co-worker of mine did some budget research and found that getting rid of one (just one) of the 3 highly payed admins would fund the sports and might even lower the amount of tax money needed to run the school.

sorry if this a little off topic but the self minded school admins in my area really piss me off.

[tiuk @ Aug 1st 2006 10:18AM]

The food at my highschool was mostly inedible. There was a rib sandwich that they made every now and then that was actually pretty good (sometimes I think about re-visiting the cafeteria just to get one), and the fries were good. Most days I'd just eat fries until I could get home and have real food. At least, until my friends and I were old enough to drive, then we mostly left for lunch (my school was in the middle of nowhere, so there was nothing within walking distance).

Anyway, I guess my point is cafeteria food sucks, and kids know it. They're going to find a way to eat what they want, and sooner or later they're going to figure out for themselves what they should be eating. IMO, just let them be.

[Aaron Smith @ Aug 1st 2006 11:32AM]

I think this is a cool idea, but it seems like I would be spying on my kids (if I had any). If I wanted them to eat healthy I would either make them lunch or ask them what they had for lunch at school and try and guide them to healthier choices.

[Dave @ Aug 1st 2006 12:51PM]

They took out they old cash registers and put in computer touch screen models at my school to "speed things up." Of course, the lunch ladies have been using the old ones for years and just typed in dollar amounts. The new systems you have to input what the person actualy bought and the person has to type in thier student ID number. It really just made things slower, a lot slower.

[Darth Poo @ Aug 1st 2006 12:53PM]

8-12 years old is just about the time I started wreaking havok in the computer lab. Of course, getting the password for your parents account would be easy, I knew my Mom's debit PIN when I was six.

[Blah @ Aug 1st 2006 5:47PM]

The food at my high school is fine. Everyday there is a salad bar and at least one soup. Then there is a sandwhich bar. Then there's usually two or three hot items that change daily. Sometimes there's wraps or tacos. They limit our fry intake by only serving them like once every two weeks, sadly. Of course, its kind of expensive but at least we eat right. Despite my best efforts, I have yet to become obese.

Or you could go the route of my old school and just have a different restaurant deliver food everyday. That was the most awesome set-up ever.

If they really want to curb childhood obesity, just start serving edible food. It may be a bit more expensive, but it would be worth it. If childhood obesity is addressed now then perhaps five years down the road we won't be widening doorways and increasing elevator lift capacities to deal with all the astoundingly fat people.

[san @ Aug 1st 2006 10:45PM]

I think the problem is indeed that there is so much from which to choose. When junk food became a money maker for strapped public schools a problem was created that did not exist when you lined up and got your punch-card punched every day for one plate lunch, hot. Now bring in the data management firms to charge these public schools even more money to control a situation caused by being out of money in the first. Ain't capitalism grand?*

*Before anyone jumps me, I'm not at all anti-capitalism. I just think we can take things a bit too far in what essentially is and likely should remain a socialized system.