(REUTERS) — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freshmen at Lakewood High School lined up against gold and black gymnasium mats on Friday to have their height and weight measured, an assessment needed to launch a novel study on fighting teenage obesity with trendy technology.
Researchers with Johns Hopkins Medicine, whose network includes a Florida children’s hospital near the school, plan to use results of the screening to select about 50 overweight students and track their activity levels using the Fitbit, a connected wristband.
“It’s cool. You can wear it and it measures your activity,” said Dr. Raquel Hernandez, lead researcher and an assistant professor of pediatrics at John Hopkins Medical School, who works at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.
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