It's nice to know that in New York City, there are still moms with so much cash to blow and such an unhealthy obsession with their kids' weight that they'll cough up $95 an hour for a personal trainer to whip their tubby tykes into shape.

Ronda Kaysen: That's right. In Manhattan's tony corners, moms are hiring personal trainers for kids as young as 5 to help them shed the pounds by doing squats, push-ups, and jogging. Have these people not heard of a thing called a playground?

"We spent the whole summer traveling through France and Italy and eating, and I could see he was putting on a little weight," Jennifer Dimuro, a Tribeca mom who hired a personal trainer for her 8-year-old son, told the New York Post. "Julian's idea of recreation is a food tour in the West Village."

Why would little Julian need a personal trainer? Well, the family is so busy he doesn't have time for exercise -- his parents haven't even managed to find time to teach him how to ride a bike.

These moms blame the city for their kids' sedentary lives. "City kids do not have time to be active," bemoaned Elle Shindler, an Upper East Side mom who founded a kiddie personal-training business.

Come to think of it, my 2-year-old has been looking a little porky since his Halloween chocolate binge. His baby potbelly is getting a little large, especially when he drools on it. Maybe I should sign him up for a personal trainer. If these moms are starting their kids at 5, imagine the luck I'd have with a toddler. He could have a six-pack before he's out of diapers.

Ronda Kaysen is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, BusinessWeek.com, Architectural Record, Huffington Post, New York Observer and AM New York. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.