Bicycling.com just ran a story that could pretty much be the answer to why obiesity is a growing problem among children in our country. According to this story kids are not being allowed to ride bikes to school because “helicopter” parents and uptight school administrators believe it is safer for kids to get driven everywhere. But what they don’t understand is that it’s far more dangerous for kids to be inactive. Not to mention what kind of message this sends them about their parents and school administrator’s mental health?!

The story summed it up perfectly at the beginning:

“Childhood obesity rates are soaring, youth participation in sports and other active pursuits is plummeting, and a generation is coming of age with little understanding of the joy and freedom of unsupervised play. There’s a simple solution—but all across the nation our schools earn a failing grade when it comes to letting kids ride their bikes.”

Then they went on to disclose some really bothersome statistics: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 40 years ago, 48% of children walked or rode their bikes to school. Today that figure is a dismal 13%. Even among students who lived within one mile of school, 88% used to walk or bike, while today only 38% do.

Why you ask? According to Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, “We’ve gotten so used to ferrying kids around in cars. And there are so many other distractions now—most of them involving a screen.”

Furthermore, only about a third of American children get P.E. at school every day, despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation that children get an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity everyday.

And then we wonder why childhood obesity rates are at an all time high. Everyone seems to be pointing the finger, but no one is taking responsibility.

A whopping 17% of the kids in our country are obese–a number that has tripled since 1980. Not only does this set kids up for a very unhealthy future with increased risks of hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes, but it also likely means a childhood–if not a life–of low self-esteem and low confidence. We know how mean other kids can be towards someone who is fat. That type of cruelty doesn’t just roll off a kid’s back. It can stick with them for life.

Which is why encouraging more kids to bike or walk to school seems like such an easy solution. Is it the end all to the problem? No, but it certainly can’t hurt the situation?

What do you think? Do parents and schools just need to stop being so uptight?