Childhood Obesity, Whose Fault?

This week an eight year old patient came to see me who weighed 180 pounds. The complaint was that he was having difficulty breathing at night and whether removing his tonsils and adenoids would improve his breathing. Clearly, the source of his breathing problem was related to his weight. The extra fat in his neck and throat would cause his airway to collapse during deep sleep and the extra fat in his chest made it difficult for him to expand his lungs.
The problem of obesity in children is an immense problem that effects the individual as well as places a lifelong burden on society. I see a huge amount of children who are overweight and it disproportionately effects the African-American and Hispanic communities. These kids are looking forward to the development of diabetes, heart disease and a shortened life span. They are unlikely to find long lasting employment and find themselves occupied with frequent doctor visits and hospital stays. They contribute little but consume a large amount of public resources.
I may be wrong but many of the parents do not see this as a significant problem. I don't know if it is a cultural issue but I am amazed how flippant the parents seem to be regarding this life altering issue. To keep feeding your child in an unhealthy way seems ignorant and foolish at best and at worse seems akin to child abuse. The question is why are parents allowing and contributing to this?
I think these communities are so used to being taken care of by government that the ideas of self reliance are completely stripped from their thoughts. This leads to a complete inability to take control of their own lives and by default the lives of their children. They have lost a sense of personal responsibility. These feeling of dependence are actually caused by the overpresence of government since it is similar to a child who is constantly spoiled by his parents and thus never gains his independence. Yes we need a safety net but it is counterproductive if that net doesn't allow or require a person to try to become self-reliant.
I think this a perfect issue for Obama to target and to use his popularity. To try and convince the public that the goal is not for government to micromanage and be heavily involved in their lives but for them to be self-reliant. As an African-American I think he can have an honest dialogue with the public that it their responsibility to make sure their kids are fed responsibly, that their homework is done, that they read with their children, that they encourage exercise, and that they grow up with good behavior. The Obamas are excellent role models and they should exploit that for the benefit of the country. Instead of useless press conferences where nothing is learned he should use this exposure as an opportunity to demonstrate how people can improve their lives.
As a modification of JFK's call, Obama should demand of the public "ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for yourself". If he shows how he and Michelle have done it and are doing it for their kids, the public will follow.