The childhood obesity monster, so the experts tell us, is a multi-headed beast that can't be slain with one sword, no matter how sharp, and no matter how swift. This monster's heads are initially made up of poor eating and exercise habits. But they are themselves heavily influenced by social, psychological, economic, and genetic heads including a child's...

• Family make-up

• Neighborhood and friends

• Schools attended

• Genes inherited form their parents

• Sleep patterns at night

• TV shows watched

• Advertisements consumed

• Game preferences or sporting involvements

• Access to supermarkets carrying fresh fruits and vegetables

And these are just a few of the factors that must be taken into account if we're ever going to get to the bottom of what the U.S. Surgeon General has recently branded a problem of epidemic proportions...or so we're told by the academicians who are getting paid billions to research the problem, the charitable foundations and the state governments who are paying the academicians billions to research the problem, the politicians and the other bureaucrats who are all expressing such heart felt concern over this exploding dilemma.

But Then It's Very Complex

But alas, the problem is so incredibly complex, so hard to handle, that we continue to lose the war on childhood obesity, while millions of kids suffer from all its various ramifications including poor self esteem, pervasive underachievement, and type 2 Diabetes, to name a few. In other words, we know that the life quality for an obese child is notoriously poor and the odds of the problems carrying over into adult life are extremely high.

Yet We're Still Highly Concerned

Regardless, all the experts are still highly concerned, they're spending (and receiving) billions of dollars, checking out every nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned, in their ongoing and relentless pursuit of a very complex solution to a very complex problem, as we continue to lose the war week after week, month after month, year after year. Oddly enough though, after all that time and all that expenditure, we're no closer to a solution today than we were a decade ago. It's still all about getting kids to eat better and exercise more. No magic pills on the horizon. Shall we all wring our hands together, simultaneously, in harmony?

One Thing The Experts Have Failed to Look For...

Of course one thing the experts have failed to look for is a simple solution to the childhood obesity problem. And if a simple solution hit them right between the eyes, my question is, would they be capable, or even willing to recognize it?

What Becomes of All the Research Dollars?

After all, if a legitimate solution to childhood obesity were actually discovered, what would become of the billions currently being spent on researching the problem? I mean how much money have we spent recently on finding a cure for polio? If you said none you guessed right. Since Dr. Jonas Salk discovered a solution back in the 50's, we spend no money on polio research. And if we discover a legitimate solution to childhood obesity wouldn't all the grant monies dry up and blow away? Maybe it's best to just act like we're trying to find a solution and keep the incentives flowing?

Pointing Out the Obvious?

So in the wake of this total failure on the part of the experts, I'd like to offer a non-expert's observation that may sound like I'm pointing out the obvious, especially if you're a Physical Education teacher like I was for 17 years of my life. Any PE teacher in the US can tell any childhood obesity expert in the US that kids who can do pull ups are inevitably NOT OBESE. Some PE teachers can even tell you that, given access to the right information and the right (incredibly inexpensive) equipment, most kids can learn to do pull ups in a predictable amount of time.

Bring on the Logic

Now let's pay homage to the academic community by bringing in a logician - a person who studied and mastered logic in college - in order to add up these two observations and come up with a rock solid conclusion. Here's how it goes. If it's true that kids who can do pull ups are never obese, and that given access to the right info and equipment most kids can learn to do pull ups, then it's logically irrefutable that most kids can immunize themselves against obesity for life by simply learning and maintaining their ability to do pull ups. And this is true regardless of family upbringing, neighborhood, friends, schools, sleep patterns, advertisements consumed, race, creed, color, or genetics, etc.

The Experts Response

Hmmmm...the experts are thinking. Where are all the statistics, longitudinal studies, and the grant money that backs this observation up? What happened to the multi-headed monster that couldn't be slain by one simplified sword? And Coach Osbourne, what degrees do you have that allows you to make such an observation, and tell all us experts how to solve this Rubik's Cube of a problem that has so successfully resisted billions in research, longitudinal studies, and conscientious concern of so many academicians across this great nation of ours? I don't mean to question your patriotism, but how can you even question our wonderful system?

The Physical Educator Responds to the Expert

Hmm...the Physical Educator says to himself. Are these experts really this blind, or are they being paid to ignore and overlook legitimate and simple solutions to this horrific problem? I mean I could offer them half dozen simple solutions if they'd only listen. But they don't.

They're so bent on identifying a complex solution to this complex problem that even if a simple solution is pointed out to them point blank, they'd refuse to see it. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that they can't afford to see it...the job pays them to stay in lock step.

Yes Virginia...

Yes Virginia, the king is wearing beautiful new clothes. He's not standing there in his royal underwear. And after all the experts are the experts...look at all the fancy letters behind their names and all the associations they belong to. Long lived the status quo. I say bureaucrats should be inducted into sainthood. And realistically speaking, why would anyone want to slay this multi-headed, fire breathing monster with a simple sword anyway? Kids? Who cares?

Rick Osbourne is an ex-physical educator and coach (17 years) who currently writes for a living and serves as the Executive Director of Operation Pull Your Own Weight, (http://www.pullyourownweight.net) an informational web site that's dedicated to eliminating childhood obesity in one decade. If you're interested in childhood obesity prevention, then check it out any time. Osbourne is also a public speaker, and he's recently published a book entitled "Operation Pull Your Own Weight: A Radically Simple Solution to Childhood Obesity," (on the website) that provides practical minded parents and educators with "a simple, easily implemented, easily documented, and affordable solution to childhood obesity," according to the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (http://www.asep.org) Osbourne can be reached at Osbourne.rick@gmail.com

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