Experiment: 7,000 Snohomish County students to get fitness monitors

Nearly 7,000 students will receive watch-sized electronic devices to measure their activity levels, in what's being called the largest single experiment in getting kids more active in Snohomish County, the Herald reported. The Gear Up & Go program will involve fifth-graders at 15 school districts throughout the county. An event kicking off the program is scheduled Saturday in Snohomish.

The hope is that giving kids a way to measure their activity levels will keep them more active and off the couch. Students at Everett's View Ridge Elementary School have already given the devices, called Sqord PowerPods, glowing reviews. The Sqord is similar to a pedometer and allows kids to earn online points for being active.

Students are able to check their progress at computers in participating schools and YMCAs in Snohomish County.

"You might think it's a gimmick," said Dr. Gary Goddbaum Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, in an interview with the Herald. "It's not. It's based on long-standing evidence that feedback can make a difference in people's behaviors. They've got something giving them positive feedback."

A kickoff event for Gear Up & Go is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Stocker Farms Corn Maze, 8705 Marsh Road, Snohomish. Read more from the Everett Herald here.