President George W. Bush met yesterday with senior executives from several companies in the food industry to wring his hands over our tubby kiddies. The group included representatives from McDonald's, Kraft and Pepsico. They were there (one suspects not voluntarily) so that the President could express his somber concern that American children are beginning to resemble a school of Beluga whales. Anyone who has seen the average fifth grade class in middle America knows what the problem is.
These useless, pro-forma photo-ops are staged almost weekly at the White House regardless of who is in office. The President vows to "do something" about the growing problem du jour. Handshakes are exchanged all around and everyone goes back to business as usual. In this case McDonald's returns to the production of Happy Meals, now available with a side of lard; Kraft reverts to making Mac & Cheese, in containers so convenient that you can cook them during commercials of Sponge Bob Square Pants, and Pepsi continues to create soft drinks with enough sugar to insure the prosperity of the Cuban economy for years to come.
Nevertheless, this is America not France. Mr. Bush assured his corporate guests that the administration would do nothing "aggressive" to ameliorate the problem. Translation: Big Brother will not attempt to reduce the caloric or fat content of Big Macs or Pepsi. Government will not step in and require that packages of Mac & Cheese carry a skull and crossbones warning. The President will invoke the "Katrina Doctrine". He will do nothing. There was, however a suggestion that Mr. Bush fly over a middle school in Topeka, KS. That plan was abandoned as "too invasive".
The tragic part of this problem is that everyone knows what the trouble is and what the solution is. Forget enlisting the food police. We don't need to count the number of french fries in a serving at Burger King or install child safety locks on the fridge. For once in his Presidency, George Bush is right (who would have guessed?). Legislation and regulation are not the answer. American parents need to do what American parents will never do; let the kids go out to play.
Children are fat because they're prisoners in their own homes. In generations past, children came home from school, grabbed a snack, and headed for the park, school yard or just the street. They were unseen by adults until they were called home for dinner. In the summer, they were off again after supper only to return ten seconds before dark. On Saturdays, kids were unseen all day. It was pretty hard to gain weight when you were burning calories for hours on the ball field or the basketball court.
Today's suburban lifestyle is coupled with an almost pathological dread of the social surroundings. This has forced parents to limit the activity of their kids to drive-up, controlled, organized events. Being chauffeured to and from the little league field may look like parental participation but it's really just an armed escort.
The ironic part of this is that many families moved from urban centers and changing neighborhoods primarily to escape the dangers that existed in their former environment. Even after relocating to "safer neighborhoods" parents are reluctant to let kids "go out and play". If you keep your children confined in the house to protect them from predators, real or imagined, they will begin to resemble Fat Albert even if you feed them kelp and mineral water.
We need to dispel the notion that the streets were safer in years past. Television shows like Criminal Minds as well as 24-7 news programs instill an unjustified fear in parents. A child molestation in Colorado is splashed across America as if it were the latest example of an nationwide epidemic rather than an isolated incident. No one wants to let their kids play without adult supervision. Your daughter may study ballet and your boy might play soccer and swim but, aside from those controlled activities, they are locked away from imagined abductors.
Newsflash: Predators existed in the glorious 1950's. Children were taken off the street and never heard from again. Cars maimed kids at play. Danger has always been with us but, in years past, American parents were not willing to let fear rule their lives and the lives of their children.
Maybe the Depression and WWII gave the parents of the 50's and 60's prospective on the relative dangers of the outside world. As kids, we were warned about talking to strangers but we were never placed in fear of our lives.
Fast food proliferation may be a relatively recent phenomenon but bad eating habits are as old as lying about why you were late for dinner. Kids have always preferred to eat the hamburger and feed the broccoli to the dog. The only difference with today's young people is that, instead of Mom shutting the TV off and sending you out to play, she now turns on the set so you won't be tempted to leave. If this keeps up, every child in America will be getting a seat belt extender for their sweet sixteen present.
So, keep up the good work Mr. President. You're on the right track. Doing nothing becomes you.
Until the youth of America is released from their 50 inch, flat screen prison we will continue to foster a generation of super-sized children. Good luck if you get a middle seat.
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