Obesity and the Wussification of America

Can you believe it? There are actually schools in the United States that forbid running on the playground! Phillip K. Howard argues in this week’s WSJ that overprotected children become fat children. “The headlong drive for safety has indeed created dangers, but not those identified by the safety zealots.” Indeed, the wussification of America has been well under way for at least a decade, remarkably parallel to the rise in childhood obesity. These phenomenon are likely due to the convergence of multiple factors not the least of which are the Left’s continual push toward a nanny state, smaller families where the precious 2.2 children are coddled and overprotected, more women working outside the home necessitating regimented child care programs, and the ubiquity of trial lawyers. Ironically, with previous generations an army of stay-at-home mothers patrolled neighborhoods and children were allowed to run and play to their hearts’ content, sometimes from sun-up until sundown. No more. Now, even if your kids are home and encouraged to “go out and play” the other kids are enrolled in “safe” after-school programs or sequestered indoors with their X-box until Mom gets home. Scrapes, bruises and strenuous living should be part of growing up, whereas wussification produces overweight 30-something adolescents.