Michelle Obama To Launch Anti-Obesity Campaign With Local Support

First Lady Michelle Obama announced her new initiative to fight childhood obesity on Tuesday, and it had the support of many Chicago-area food companies.

Tuesday morning, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to set the plan in motion, launching a 90-day plan to coordinate efforts of federal agencies and private-sector firms in the fight against obesity.

Among those private companies were a number of Chicago-area food producers, most prominently Kraft and Sara Lee, reports the Chicago Tribune. The companies' CEOs joined 38 others in signing an open letter to the First Lady supporting her initiative.

From the Tribune:

"Too many of our children are seriously overweight, and our companies stand ready to work with you to address this health crisis," they wrote in an open letter to the first lady.

In recent years, the executives noted, they "have changed the way we develop and market more than 10,000 products, reducing fat, trans fat, sugar, salt and calories without sacrificing the convenience and taste consumers demand."

Obesity has been one of Michelle Obama's signature issues. This initiative, called "Let's Move," is expected to focus on four main goals: increasing the number of healthy schools; getting kids more active; improving access to food and empowering consumers.

Comments

[jalex26000]

07:00 PM on 02/13/2010

you know what this means! MORE childhood obesity!

[stylembe]

05:00 AM on 02/13/2010

I love Michelle Obama. She works hard.

Michelle Obama

[DanEboy]

11:09 PM on 02/12/2010

I thought it was JUNK IN THE TRUNK or hey wanna grow your buttocks over your shoulders.

[cdiasmd]

09:44 AM on 02/10/2010

"Let's Move"??
It should've been called "No Child w/ a Big Behind".

[notwired]

08:59 AM on 02/10/2010

'Locals do not support an obesity campaign' will be news.

[goddesscon2001]

02:32 AM on 02/10/2010

I live in Chicago.My daughter attends CPS and I know why the kids are getting bigger.
There is no recess time,even 10 minutes of running around makes a difference.When I attended public school in the 70 and 80' we had physical education more then once a week.
Not my kid...One period of 45 minutes a week.
The kids are not absorbing the material..the teachers have shortened days.They all need to step back 20 years when they had 2 / 15 minute recess periods in a day.The kids need it as do the educators.I remember open campus.Those were the days before Reagan decided a certain part of education was not necessary to fund like PE.
My daughters PE teacher is a over weight type 2 diabetic who does not participate in the activities with his students.That says a lot right there.

Better food choices too..however most kids spend at least 5 hours a day at school..mostly sitting on their butts..This is where we start
We truly do need to get moving...

I want my kid smart but would prefer for her to have both a smart mind and a healthy body...after all she is our future..as are all those other kids ..we need to help them..before we all become a bunch of those floating fat people like in WALL- E

[duze]

03:51 PM on 02/09/2010

Where can I see the suit and the boots. I don't watch GMA, at work by that time.

[HealthHabits]

01:33 PM on 02/09/2010

Hopefully this big-gov't "solution" sparks the types of "grassroots" solutions we really need to solve the obesity epidemic

http://bit.ly/8dTmCV