'Snack Neutralizer' wins award from White House
Posted October 13, 2010 12:41 p.m. EDT
Updated October 13, 2010 4:54 p.m. EDT
Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — A Wake County school teacher has won recognition from the White House for his efforts to fight childhood obesity with a computer game called the "Snack Neutralizer."
Jeffrey Schwartz, a teacher at Herbert Akins Road Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, won an honorable mention in the Apps for Healthy Kids competition, which was part of First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to against childhood obesity.
The competition challenged software developers and game designers to create fun, engaging software and tools to motivate children and their parents to eat better and be more physically active.
Schwartz said that his game was driven by a simple concept – showing children how much activity it would take to burn off the calories in their favorite snacks.
"Seeing a number of minutes or a number of push-ups that you have to do if you eat a cookie as opposed to a handful of grapes – that is right there. It's as concrete as it gets," he said.
The award carries a $1,000 cash prize, and Schwartz will be recognized along with other winners in a ceremony at the White House.
