Dads too. My coworker will not let his 3rd grade daughter walk to school, even though it's about 1/2-3/4 mile, and only a block or two off of their street. The mother ought to at least walk her to and from school, but Mom is pretty big too.
OTOH, I'm fat, I walked almost a mile to elementary school, rarely had a ride either way, even in cold weather with heavy snow. In Jr. Hi and High school I walked about 1.5 miles and didn't start riding until the last half or so of high school. (By which time I was already "Big"). I swam, played baseball on organized teams, played basketball and football, as well as baseball, in the neighborhood. None of that helped me. I started getting big in elementary school.
Are you trying to lost weight now? If you need some inspiration, check out these tv shows on the cable channel, The Discovery Health Channel. I was surfing the dial tonight and was shocked to see programs like "The Half-Ton Man," and "The Story of Jackie" concerning a 627 pound woman. Watching even a minute of those shows is enough to get anyone to think seriously about changing their eating routine and lifestyle!!!