Kiosk at High Schoolsto Monitor Weight, Fat

With American kids weighing in 10 or more pounds more than their peers of three decades ago, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that many of them should be paying more attention to fitness and what food is going into their mouths.

To help them monitor their weight and body fat, computerized kiosks designed by IBM will be going into 10 to 15 high schools around the country early in the new year. The idea is to have 150 kiosks in place by the end of 2002.

The kiosks will enable teens to weigh themselves at school and also compute their percentage of body fat and lean tissue. The information will be stored on a computer server at the school. At some point, kids may be able to get remote access to their information.

The kiosks, costing $200,000 each, are part of an arrangement with the National School Fitness Foundation, which donates fitness equipment to schools. The idea is to help kids track how well they’re doing.