I have to agree with Michelle Obama that child obesity is a crisis in our country.  The problem is what would be the proper solution to solve the situation.  From an article written by USA Today states that “the federal government would work with local officials and leaders in the business and non-profit sectors, to provide more nutritious food in schools, allow more opportunities for kids to be physically active and give more communities access to affordable, healthful food.”

While not trying to be critical as I do agree, obesity in anyone is a problem. However, responsibility seems to have fallen on the schools. Schools could offer healthier meals and give more physical education time, but that would be an additional cost to the taxpayers. As some families have had to cut back their food budget and purchase cheaper less nutritious food choices, the schools have also had to cut back on their food budgets. More students are receiving reduced and free lunches, which equals fewer dollars back into the school lunch program.  Either the federal government will have to give more in subsidies, the state will give the local districts more money for lunch programs, districts could increase local property taxes, or finally increase the price of school lunches for those that don’t qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Additional physical education time would be beneficial. This reminded me of when I was going to school way back in the days when TV was just starting to go into the classrooms, we had physical education every day. Mainly it was to get us students out of the teacher’s hair for thirty minutes, have us run laps in the miserable hot weather then sing a rousing chorus of “Go, You Chicken Fat Go!”  How many of you remember that little ditty? After which a couple of kids would pass out from heat exhaustion the rest of us would return to our classroom all sweaty and stinky; which may explain why our teachers appeared ill after we came back to class.

We all had to take physical fitness tests everyone had to pass the timed tests, or else you were considered “unfit”. No consideration that some kids just weren’t built the same even if they weren’t fat. I have a genetic disorder, which often isn’t obvious in younger children, the only sign might be being the class klutz. You know the kid no one wants on their team.  At the end of the year, the lucky students who passed all the physical tests received a nice little patch.  If you wish to sing along but can't remember the words click here.  As one Phys. Ed teacher said even students as dumb as a rock could get one of these.  Not exactly politically correct, even for then, but nothing was ever said.  Students with obvious disabilities only had to try, and they got the coveted patch, which is only fair. So what is worse than being as dumb as a rock? Being labeled unfit of course.

The article mentioned very little on how parents and children are to make right choices when it comes to dietary needs. How can you convince a child that steamed broccoli is good for you when chocolate cake tastes so much better? Many children have learned, you can’t hide broccoli in milk, nor will the dog eat the vegetable. Considering my dogs would on occasion insist on eating the most disgusting things,  (no doggie kisses after that) and wouldn’t eat broccoli made me wonder if the green vegetable was a toxic substance.  Considering the pesticides used back then, it probably was a toxic substance, not to mention fish with all the mercury content and other foods considered “healthy” slam packed full of cancer causing contaminations. 

The problem never really went away just pushed back on the back burner and forgotten until medical reports came out about the increase in obesity. Now once again the government is stepping in and making regulations, telling us what to eat, not eat and how to exercise. Sounds a little like the 1949 book entitled 1984 by George Orwell.