A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that obese children rate quality of life low.  This from an AP article I found on Yahoo.  I can imagine that those children (average age 12 years, height 5’1″, weight 174 lbs) would find life a bit difficult.

Something like 15 percent of children in this country are severely overweight or obese.  They suffer from numerous health conditions such as fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, and orthopedic problems.  That’s in addition to their inability to walk more than one city block or participate in physical activities.

This is a tragedy, and the blame for it rests squarely on the shoulders of parents who are too self-involved to ensure that their children receive a balanced diet of nutritious food and get plenty of exercise.  It’s altogether too easy these days to buy the kids an XBox and leave them to eat twinkies and swill Coca-Cola while killing bad guys.  It doesn’t help, of course, that Mom and Dad are swilling beer and eating peanuts while watching Survivor.  Ditch the damned TVs, folks, and go take a walk.  Take your kids with you.