Michelle Obama has been trying to get Americans to move for a while now.
The First Lady has persistently tackled the issue of childhood obesity in the United States with her “Let’s Move” campaign for the past four years. The issue has become a major problem in the U.S. where almost one in every three children suffers from obesity, according to the program's website.
The problem is even worse for Latinos. In 2010 38.2 percent of Hispanic children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese, compared with 31.7 percent of all children those ages, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which focuses on a range of public health issues including childhood obesity.
FLOTUS is aware of the growing problem among the Latino community, and she addressed the issue in an interview with Huffpost Voces this week.
“Since childhood obesity among Hispanic children is higher than all other youth population segments, we know how important it is to help families in these communities lead healthier lifestyles,“ she told Huffpost Voces via e-mail.
To address the problem “Let’s Move” unveiled “MiPlato” in 2011. The Spanish version on “MyPlate” helps inform families about healthier options of the foods they consume.
“Companies like Goya have stepped up to support MiPlato and incorporate the MiPlato logo on their products to help make the healthy choice the easier choice for families,” said Obama.
This is just one of the many steps the First Lady has taken within the Latino community to help raise awareness to fight childhood obesity. As the keynote speaker at the 2013 National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) conference in New Orleans she spoke candidly about the danger obesity poses to Hispanics.
“While food might be love, the truth is we are loving ourselves and our kids to death,” Obama said. “We need to step up, we need to start questioning the behaviors and beliefs that are making our kids sick.”
The First Lady has also found ways to make the process fun. Obama participated in a Zumba lesson along with TV host Mario Lopez to celebrate the “Let’s Move” campaign’s fourth year in February.
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