Remember when the American Academy of Pediatrics - during the height of masking mania - declared that early childhood development was not harmed by children not seeing the faces of others?

That’s when those of us with common sense realized this was no longer an organization of medical professionals dedicated to the health of children. Instead, it had become just another woke group, pushing government propaganda.

Like the CDC.

But don’t get me started on that clown show.

Well, the AAP is now timidly addressing the issue of childhood obesity, which by all accounts worsened during the pandemic due to kids sitting home all day slack jawed in front of their computers screens with one hand on the keyboard and the other in a Dorito bag. Blame government and teachers unions.

But the docs are so determined not to fat shame the one in five American kids who are obese, that they refuse to even call them that. Instead, they politely say that the fat kids are “living with obesity.”

Puh-leez.

Yep, they’re living with it all right. Chances are they’re going to die an early death from it too.

ABC reports that “the AAP said childhood obesity is a disease with genetic, social and environmental factors — not something caused by individual choices — and that it shouldn't be stigmatized by health care providers.”

Oh really? Maybe it’s not caused by the child’s individual choices, but it’s almost always caused by familial poor eating and exercise habits.

Ever notice a really overweight parent pushing a grocery cart loaded with junk food while their hefty kid sits in the seat?

Yep, me too. Bad habits are passed from generation to generation. That’s not genetics.

The AAP now suggests early intervention for kids as young as two who tip the scales in the obese range. Some of these kids can get behavioral help, the new policy states. But pediatricians are cautioned not to be too blunt about the weight issue.

Older kids? Pills for obese 12-year-olds and and surgery for 13-year-olds.

It’s so much easier to prescribe meds and slice a kid up than it is to get them to change basic behavior.

Why does the AAP refuse to say that kids need to get moving, limit screen time and ditch the high-calorie, zero-nutrient foods?

I can answer that: For the same reasons the CDC never once pushed exercise and vitamins to fight covid, and instead behaved like an arm of the pharmaceutical industry.

Fact is, we need to get a grip on obesity across all ages in the U.S. Those of us who struggle with our weight know how hard it can be to lose a few pounds. We also know that burning more calories than you take in is the secret to weight loss. It’s simple math.

The CDC knew all along that one of the main “co-morbidities” associated with death in covid patients was obesity. So what did the government do? Moronic governors - like ours in Virginia at the time - ordered fitness centers, parks and rec centers closed. Shoot, some even closed beaches.

Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago, even threatened residents who dared to venture outside.

I remember nearly losing my mind when I read this on March 26, 2020.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Visibly frustrated with reports of gatherings throughout Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivered a stern warning to those who continue to get together during the COVID-19 pandemic: We will shut it down and you may be arrested.

"Stay at home. Only go out for essentials. You have to readjust your thinking. Be smart," Lightfoot said. "Not only will our police be deployed to shut them down if you are not abiding by these orders we will be forced to shut down the parks and lakefront. The situation Is deadly serious and we need you take it deadly seriously."

Lightfoot added that spending long periods of time outdoors, anywhere, is not allowed. And neither is going into closed spaces, like playgrounds.

"You cannot go on long bike rides. Playgrounds are shut down. You must abide by the order. Outside, is for a brief respite, not for 5Ks. I can't emphasize enough that we abide the rules."

Chicago Park District CEO Mike Kelly said outside spaces are open but need to be used judiciously. warned residents against jogging during the pandemic.

Yep, this fool actually told Chicagoans not to go for runs, the most solitary of exercises. Marathons were cancelled. Virginia Beach scrapped the Shamrock at the very time people needed most to be outdoors and in the sun, getting Vitamin D.

Weight-loss drugs are no substitute for good habits. Neither is weight-loss surgery, which is a last resort for many adults who have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight and whose health is in jeopardy.

We need to adjust our thinking about obesity. Here’s a thought: Let’s worry less about fat-shaming and more about spreading the falsehood that you can be healthy at any weight.

Not true, in general.

A friend of mine, whose mother was in a nursing home, once jokingly asked one of the home’s administrators where he was hiding all the overweight residents.

“There aren’t any,” he replied. “Fat people don’t live long enough to go to nursing homes.”

Sobering.