P.A.R.S. Watches Physical Activity in Youth

As the prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate amid an ever-growing array of sedentary distractions, finding ways to motivate kids to be active has never been more important or challenging. One innovative solution being marketed by NewWayFitness of Richmond, VA “[guarantees] increases in physical activity time or decreases in sedentary viewing time, among all children, without constant parent intervention.” The muscle behind this is the Physical Activity Reward System (P.A.R.S.) program, a web-based software system developed in cooperation with the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park that tracks the amount of time spent in physical activity. Physical activity is monitored and recorded throughout the day by a special watch, the Polar Activity Watch, and the information is transferred to P.A.R.S. Children and parents can then monitor activity levels within the web interface, tracking progress towards predefined goals and rewards. And in case positive reinforcement is not your style, the system may optionally cut power to appliances until those predefined goals are met.
Website: NewWayFitness…