Evangelicals Resist Obama's Childhood Obesity Push

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON -- Evangelicals are the only major religious group where a majority opposes the federal government's efforts to reduce childhood obesity, a Pew Research Center survey shows.

Asked if the government should play a significant role in reducing childhood obesity, 56 percent of white evangelicals said it should not, compared to 42 percent who said it should.

Overall, 57 percent of Americans favored such a government role while 39 percent did not.

First lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative has drawn both praise and criticism from conservatives, and divided potential GOP presidential candidates, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee supporting it and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin opposed.

Other groups viewed a government role more favorably, including 61 percent of Catholics and religiously unaffiliated Americans, 75 percent of black Protestants and 51 percent of white mainline Protestants.

Obama expanded her "Let's Move" initiative to include congregations last November and marked its one-year anniversary in February at an evangelical church outside Atlanta.

The survey by the Pew Center for the People & the Press was conducted Feb. 22-March 1 with a national sample of 1,504 adults, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Comments

[ProudMilVet]

01:26 AM on 04/22/2011

This is all about hating & opposing anything & everything Obama, it has nothing to do with believing that the government is trying to tell us what to eat. If Nancy Reagan had promoted this, Evangelicals would be singing hymns & hosannah's in praise of her & Ronnie.

[Tom Iarossi]

01:28 AM on 04/22/2011

You got it. They went ballistic when Obama wanted to address students about staying in school, too. Of course, with their special committee member in Orange County still in power, I'd say their real agenda is out int he open.

[ProudMilVet]

01:35 AM on 04/22/2011

Tom larossi : Sad isn't it ? Fanned & Faved Tom. BTW, that's my first name also.

[rationalitymatters]

01:17 PM on 04/22/2011

This is why evangelicals should stay out of politics. It makes them hateful or, at least, it shines a spotlight on their intolerance. Sadly, it happened to my mother and her friends. She used to be a very sweet Christian and when she embraced the politics of the tea baggers, it changed her completely.

[rationalitymatters]

01:12 PM on 04/22/2011

Absolutely. They oppose everything he does because they hate that an educated, confident, articulate black man is President of the U.S. They hate his religious beliefs, they hate his name, they hate his background, they hate that he is of a mixed racial union. This is what is boils down to, pure and simple. It explains the vitriol, the racist e-mails, the birthers, all of it.

[CR90]

02:16 AM on 04/15/2011

Free choice. If they choose to be fat then NO ONE, not you or the government, has the right to tell them they have to eat healthy.

[KAK1958]

04:22 PM on 04/16/2011

I don't get this "you have to eat healthy." I think the idea is to encourage people to eat healthy, exercise and try to get businesses to provide those healthier alternatives (which they're glad to do if there's money in it). I don't think people who want to eat crap have a hard time doing so, regardless of this or any initiative. All-you-can-eat deep fried buffets aren't going extinct any time soon.

[Tom Iarossi]

01:22 AM on 04/22/2011

Of course they do, and no one is telling anyone what they have to do. She is merely using the bully pulpit to hopefully convince some people to live healthier lives. No one has to read books either, but did you complain when Laura Bush promoted literacy?

Or is there another issue here being left unsaid?

[Chris Utzig]

03:23 PM on 04/11/2011

Fanatics for Fatness.

[marind]

05:50 PM on 04/09/2011

This one deserves a special Darwin Award for Natural Selection - Religious Category

[tek1]

10:12 PM on 03/30/2011

There is no difference between Evangelicals and the Republican party. Yank their tax free status now and quit pretending that they have anything to do with god.

[diamonds61]

08:58 PM on 03/30/2011

Where were these evangelicals when JFK urged schools across America to enourage children to exercise and be more active??? As Christians our bodies are temples and we are supposed to take care of our body and soul. When I was a teenager many, many years ago, the largest size for junior was 13; now the largest size is 19!!! If preteens and teenagers are so heavy now, what can they expect 20 years down the road after they have children? Once upon a time every girl or woman -like movie stars, friends, relatives- had small waistlines. My waistline was 21". Girls and women did not have muffin tops or big bellies or rolls of fat across our back - - we could wear clothes with belts. We have a real crisis on our hands and health problems are now appearing in young children who are obese. We need to get our children away from the dvds, video games, computer, television, ipods, cellphones, etc. and get them involved in outdoor activities and sports. We also need to get them reading again- not just surfing the web.

[gal416]

04:28 AM on 03/30/2011

How can helping children live a healthier life possibly be a bad idea? This evangelical is all for it. Who else is going to take an effective lead on this issue if parents won't?

[Angie Daniels]

08:00 PM on 03/29/2011

So. The government can tell me who I can have sex with. Who i can love. Whether or not I can terminate a pregnancy (not an option for me, but for some) but not to eat better and exercise more.

They want to stay fat. Being obese can lead to illness that can kill you. Therefore people who want to stay fat will probably expire earlier than the rest of us.

What's the problem again?

[alicam]

03:45 PM on 03/29/2011

Go away Michelle! We like our kids fat, diabetic, out-of-shape and on the road to an early death. Typical liberal "save the world" mentality. Let our children die in peace, FLOTUS!!!!!!!

[harmonikasavingsbonds]

09:17 AM on 04/08/2011

Jesus wants them all to be sent to Him in piano cases.

[califson]

01:57 PM on 03/29/2011

Once again far too many are jumping all over the place prompted by a "poll" No one wants unhealthy children. We would be much better served by helping the homeless and hungry children, than having big brother tell us what we can eat. Even if the poll is anywhere near correct, which I question, evangelicans do more to help the hungry than any other group. Every major and mid sized city has kitchens operated by Christians. I know of one in our rather small town that feeds 100 people a day with no charge, its operated totally by volunteers. Forget the polls and get the kids out of the house, on bikes, and ball fields for those who are able, and they will burn off the fat.

[califson]

02:06 PM on 03/29/2011

Opps, typo.."Evangelicals"

[Stephen Stafford]

04:47 PM on 04/09/2011

You are morphing "Evangelicals" in with "Christians". Christian charity does quite a bit. However, The Evangelicals this story references are these conservative, white, "conservative", Republican, Tea Party type. These are the people giving guff to the idea of the First Lady promoting healthier diets for the nation's families.

Christian charity that you reference encompasses a broad range of groups with a wide range of political outlooks. My circle of Christian friends and fellowships has little in common with Evangelicals beyond loving Jesus. We hear the Gospel imperatives, and message, in totally different ways.

[been2there]

03:48 PM on 03/28/2011

Right now, the govt is subsidizing junk food via farm subsidies. Changing this to subsidize healthy food would be sensible, yes? Will it happen? No!

[marind]

05:47 PM on 04/09/2011

Yeah. See "King Corn". Most of Iowa is planted in junk food, i.e. high sugar non-edible corn called "z maze", which is made into corn syrup.

[quorthon]

12:24 PM on 03/28/2011

So let me geat this straight: they think that government should be involved with what people do in their bedrooms, but in the dining room--hands off! Now those are some messed-up priorities!

[kimbanyc]

09:43 AM on 03/28/2011

56% of WHITE Evangelicals. Why not just admit you h8 anything remotely suggested by the Obamas for POLITICAL reasons, and for your r*ce h8.

[Biblebelt Socialist]

12:04 PM on 03/29/2011

If only we could get Reagan to come back long enough to say it, they'd all be on board.

[Tom Iarossi]

01:25 AM on 04/22/2011

Nicely put. Call it like we see it.

[harmonikasavingsbonds]

09:01 AM on 03/28/2011

Jesus wants us all to be fat and stupid.

No surprise there...

[Bobrobert]

06:58 AM on 03/28/2011

lol

Government ... people really are challenged to think up new ways to hate it.

Give me a break... opposing helping obese kids is suicidal.

Long live Michelle!!!

You go girl...