Bristol Township Schools solicited a $300,000 grant from Tufts University to initiate the Children in Balance initiative because 30% of elementary aged students in the district are obese according to Courier Times Now. 30% is double the national average. And worse, 15% of elementary school aged children in Bristol Township would be considered morbidly obese. Like so-fat-they-are-doing-serious-long-term-damage-to-their-bodies kind of obese. Wow.
On the bright side, how bad could the economy really be if 15% of Bristol Township parents are able to feed their kids enough that it’s starting to kill them? You see a lot of fat kids waddling around during the Great Depression? Not a lot of tubby kids featured as needy on Idol Gives Back this year, either, come to think of it.
Good for Bristol Township for doing something about this problem, but I doubt it will be anything but a big waste of the University’s money. The ones you need to educate are the irresponsible parents shoving Ho-Hos and Sloppy Joes down Junior’s pie-hole.
The Children in Balance program will aim to reduce the onset of obesity in the district’s youngest students, said Pam Duffy, the program manager.
“We’re not targeting any specific kids. We’ll be giving all kids and their families the tools they need to be physically healthy and create healthy habits in school and at home too,” the social worker said. “We’ll be looking to increase activity time and decrease screen time.”
Good luck with that. Great idea, easier said than done.
The group plans to use money from the Tufts grant and other grants to buy various fruits and vegetables that will be put on colorful display in the school cafeterias during lunch, said team member and district spokeswoman Eileen Kelliher.
The grant money also could be used to buy inexpensive equipment like salad spinners to entice kids to eat healthier foods, she said.
Hmmm…does that really sound like the best use of the money? “Let’s see…do I want the tater tots or a carrot? Whoa – a salad spinner?!? And look at that colorful orange on display. Give me a salad NOW!
Good luck, Bristol Township.
photo credit: stopmangohome
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