Weighty issue

Back in 2006, the beverage industry -- with threats from congressional Nanny Staters hanging over its head -- "voluntarily" agreed to try to replace sodas sold in school vending machines with healthier alternatives.

The push was done on behalf of an outfit called the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, started by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to fight childhood obesity.

It is a cause now embraced by first lady Michelle Obama.

On Monday, former President Bill Clinton issued a progress report on the effort. Mr. Clinton said he was "stunned" by the fact that the number of beverage calories shipped to schools dropped by 88 percent from 2004 to 2009.

That's a positive development. But has it resulted in any discernible difference in the number of fat kids roaming the halls?

Not yet.

While school officials can certainly control what is offered on campus, they have virtually no input as to what students do on their own time. At this point, there's no indication that soda pop consumption has decreased significantly in the United States.

In addition, while focusing on caloric intake is certainly an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, burning off those calories is just as vital -- even for children.

And, in fact, the very same Nanny State zealots who seek to punish the beverage companies under the guise of fighting childhood obesity have also convinced too many parents that they risk tragedy if they allow their kids to venture outside without constant adult supervision.

When was the last time you saw kids playing sandlot baseball or street football? How many children run around their neighborhood on Friday night playing hide-and-go-seek? How many are even allowed to pedal their bikes down to the corner market?

These types of activities were commonplace 30 years ago.

Too many of today's parents are instead insistent on cocooning their children to the point that many kids aren't even allowed to walk by themselves to the school bus stop each morning.

Watch Little Johnny's intake of Orange Crush or Mountain Dew? Fine. But if his leisure time consists of playing video games and computer surfing, don't be surprised if he still eventually looks like Augustus Gloop.