I’ve always considered myself very lucky to have the wonderful kids I do.  They love sports. They love being active. It’s rare that you’ll find them vegetating in front of the TV, unless it’s too cold, rainy or dark to play outside.  Junk food in our house is a rare occurrence.  Soda and other gross, sugary drinks do not exist in my fridge.  When I make them their school lunch, I put a small snack of cookies or trail mix, yogurt, juice and a sandwich – generally with whole wheat or other healthy type of bread.  My kids are generally busy dancing, cheerleading or taking walks with friends or with the dog (for Teeny) and wrestling, biking, skateboarding and baseball (for the Redhead).  We have a gym downstairs in the basement. Weights, treadmill, body bag and other stuff, and we work out together.  We run together on occasion (although the little monsters outrun my sorry ass every time).  I insist we eat dinner together most days, and I tend to make food from scratch rather than feed them fast food.  We do go out every two weeks, eat at a local restaurant and catch a movie.  That’s our mom-munchkin thing.

My kids are healthy, happy and fit.

My kids are an anomaly.

I’m amazed at the number of lazy, fat, unhealthy kids I see! I wonder how parents can stand watching their offspring drool in front of the idiot box day after day, while they guzzle sodas and shove junk food down their throats!  I’m amazed how many parents think that a McDonalds hamburger and a trough of greasy fries is an appropriate regular meal.

Parents don’t want to take the time to take care of their children, so they allow them to purchase greasy, unhealthy food served at school, grab some fast food for dinner and never bother actually doing anything with their kids that requires physical activity.

Is it any wonder that our society is spitting out fat, apathetic, indolent adults, who demand special rights for the obese instead of taking control of their lives, their eating habits and their physical activity.

Michelle Obama wants to put a stop to childhood obesity.

While that’s a noble goal, how is it the purview of government? Why should the First Lady of the United States put pressure on food makers and junk food marketers?

“The truth is, our kids didn’t do this to themselves,” Mrs. Obama said.“Our kids didn’t choose to make food products with tons of fat and sugar and supersize portions, and then to have those foods marketed to them wherever they turn.”

No, the children didn’t do it to themselves.  The parents did this.  Parents who refuse to take responsibility for the kids they’re raising.  The makers of junk food are merely responding to market demand.  If there was no demand, the junk food companies wouldn’t be as profitable as they are. 

And yet, in the Obama administration’s typical way, Michelle Obama seems to be blaming the fast food companies and, consequently, the free market.

Trust me, it’s less expensive to make your children lunch to take to school every day than it is to have them buy the nasty food the school peddles.  It takes 10 minutes, two slices of bread, a packet of juice, a piece of fruit or yogurt and a slice of meat and cheese, or even peanut butter and jelly. 

But most parents prefer to just let their children buy crap and then wonder why they’re getting fat.

I see pressuring businesses to alter their marketing strategies or to change the kinds of meals they provide to schools as catering to the continued lack of responsibility on the part of this country’s parents.  If they’re too lazy or “busy” to take care of their children, just make it easier for them to continue shirking their parental responsibility.

No thanks.