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Beware…big brother could be lurking in school cafeterias
Posted on May 14, 2011 by Bridget // Domestic Policy, Hillbuzz, The Left, White House Policy



No more closet eating if you attend elementary school in San Antonio, Texas. High tech camera’s are being installed in 5 elementary schools that will take pictures of what children are putting on their plates. It’s part of a $2 million dollar project aimed at making parents aware of what their kids are eating at school. At least that’s the explanation that the San Antonio-based Social & Health Research Center gives but who knows how the information will really be used.

Here’s how the program works….if the parent gives consent, their child will have a special tray that has a unique barcode on it. A camera is placed above the check out register that will take a picture of that tray. Another camera is placed above the tray return and it will take a picture of the tray when the child has finished. So….the child’s plate is recorded at the beginning of lunch and then again when they have finished. Someone ( a nutrition expert, I guess) analyzes the food on the plate before and then after and they will calculate how many calories the child consumed. A report is then sent to the parents so they can be aware of what their kid is eating….and how many calories they are consuming. The researchers hope that parents will change their eating habits at home once they know what their kids are choosing to eat at school.

Wow. I really have a problem with this. This could be a scene out of Orwell’s 1984 and it should scare the hell out of all of us. It may seem like this is a small invasion of privacy and the end justifies the means but will it stop here? How else will they use this information? Will it be used when you’re enrolling for health insurance coverage? Will your premiums go up if they find out that your child likes to eat french fries every day? Let’s be real….if a child is restricted to eating only nutritious foods at home (ie. no sugar, no fried foods etc.)…aren’t they going to go hog wild at school and fill up on what they are craving? I know my plate would be filled with the hamburger, french fries and the cookie (2 cookies if they would let me have them).

If this continues….it will be like opening Pandora’s box. What if they put cameras in school bathrooms to make sure children are washing their hands? What if they put cameras on playgrounds to make sure our kids aren’t playing “Red Rover” (because it’s too “violent”). It’s outrageous.

This program has Michelle Obama’s name written all over it. I’m sure it’s inspired by her “Let’s Move” campaign.

I have an idea….”let’s move” Michelle and her family out of the White House in 2012.

I finally got on the site, here's the article:



Direct link:
http://hillbuzz.org/2011/05/14/beware-b ... afeterias/

I have no idea who or what inspired this program ...

I don't really have a problem with it as long as it's only with explicit parental permission. I'd only sign my kid up if I got the pictures myself, though.