Poor families don't have the money for this -- particularly those with incomes just above Medicaid level but who do not have insurance. I never had annual physicals, and it wasn't because my parents didn't care.

This sort of legislation assumes parents don't care. Let's assume that in at least half the cases, they *do* care. What are those parents going to do?

Well, they are going to follow dietary recommendations, and send their kids off to schools that serve the worst sort of diet. To schools without PE programs and without even recess where they can run and play. Any progress a parent might make following the current dietary recommendations -- without going into how good or bad they are -- is going to be undone by the schools.

I don't believe parents are any dumber or less caring than they were 40 years ago, and that is the underlying assumption of this type of legislation.