Cameras to keep eye on obesity

Using a $2 million grant from the Department of Agriculture, the schools in San Antonio are installing sophisticated cameras in the cafeteria line and trash area that read food bar codes embedded in the food trays.The goal of the programme is to cut down on childhood obesity by providing parents and school nutrition specialists with information on what types of food elementary students are eating. They will then be able to design healthy meals based on students real-life habits. The cameras will snap a picture of the food tray at the cashier and in order to know what has been served. The technology will identify the food, capture the nutrient levels and measure the food that children eat. The programme can break down the data into total monounsaturated fatty acids, soluble dietary fiber, and more than 100 other specific measures.If the effort is successful in San Antonio, the plan is to implement similar programmes in elementary schools nationwide.