The #1 Threat against today's Children

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june01/obesekids_05-01.html#

It is not the Internet, television, video games, or even that creepy man that hangs out by the jungle gym. It is obesity, and the majority of American children are and will continue to fight this disease. The percentage of children considered obese in elementary school has doubled from 1986 and 85% of those children will be considered obese for the rest of their lives. The major contributing factor to obesity is the inversely proportional relationship between caloric intake and physical activity. The more you eat the more activities you should be engaging in to burn off the excess calories that only serve to slow your body down, these activities however, do NOT include: obsessive web surfing, social network stalking, online gaming (even if it is an "active" game), watching sports on television, visiting ESPN.com, or drafting any one of a number of fantasy leagues.
This is where I believe the problem is rooted, in today's youths understanding of what exactly qualifies as a physical activity. There are so many simulations available that allow one to engage only their brain and right index finger while giving one the satisfaction of being a part of something that is representative of what one might be doing if they were to actually to go "unplug" from media.
I have started to notice commercials that feature Shrek and the donkey urging kids to go outside and play, be healthy, physically active, but the best part is that they offer a website in order to provide ideas. First off this is not going to encourage someone to go outside and be creative. Secondly, and more important, is that this seems similar to handing a drug addict an endless supply of their favorite substance letting them do just a tiny bit and then telling them to put it down and go play outside for an hour. I would be willing to bet not one of them would see the light of day and in an hour they would be still sitting in the exact same spot, their eyes concentrated on that which satisfies them the most, their drugs.
It may be a little far fetched to use the above comparison, but I disagree. Alcoholism is considered a disease, and following addiction is treated as such in the majority of programs available for the many different forms that addiction has taken. Why then would obesity, as a disease and also in some cases a food addiction, be any less dangerous and insidious?