An Open Letter to Michelle Obama, Mother-In-Chief

Dear Michelle,

In these uncertain times, I am deeply grateful for the role that you are playing as Mother in Chief and want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the work that you are doing for our nation's 30 million children.

Today, American children suffer from a health crisis never before seen in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every two African American children is expected to be insulin-dependent by adulthood; obesity now claims 30 percent of American children; and we have seen a 265 percent increase in the rate of hospitalizations caused by allergic reactions to food.

With a seemingly never-ending news cycle of stories about peanut butter laced with salmonella, tainted pistachios, staggering beef recalls and industrial chemicals found in baby formula and high fructose corn syrup, it is clear that our food supply has been putting the health of our nation at risk. Beyond these highly publicized culprits, there is a mostly silent but shocking relationship between the toxic manipulation of our food and the alarming recent increases in chronic conditions and diseases, including allergies, ADHD, cancer, and asthma, particularly among our children.

Due to failed federal oversight frighteningly similar to the one we have just witnessed in the financial sector, we can no longer trust that the food that we are putting on our kitchen tables to nourish our families is free of industrial chemicals. With every bite we take, we are essentially gambling with our health and well-being. The unforeseen consequences -- affecting every American family -- are dire.

When I think about our children's future, it worries me that the lack of transparency in our food system is so similar to our financial system. Just as corporate greed, speculation and deregulation destroyed the retirement savings of millions of Americans, the same greed, lack of accountability, transparency and failed oversight systems is threatening the well being of 300 million Americans, both physically and financially.

As health care costs grow exponentially, estimates suggest that health spending will hit $2.5 trillion this year, devouring 17.5 percent of our economy. By failing to address this crisis with our food system, we are adding fuel to the fire, risking not only the health of our children, but the health of our economy.

Why can we develop Treasury Asset Relief Programs to ensure that financial executives continue to receive multimillion dollar salaries but cannot develop a program to ensure the safety of our food supply? Why can we afford billions in subsidies to the multibillion dollar agrochemical conglomerates growing our nation's commodities but cannot afford to introduce new labels alerting us to the presence of genetically engineered ingredients in our food and milk supply? These are ingredients that developed countries around the world -- including the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan -- chose to either ban or label in an effort to protect the health of their citizens and children.

In our commercialized health care system, our priorities favor profitability, not prevention. We have commercialized illness, making chronic disease profitable for the pharmaceutical industry. In our country, sickness sells, leaving us with very little incentive to promote preventative measures as a form of health care in a system that is badly broken. And as a result, our children are suffering.

That is why I am so deeply grateful for the efforts that you are making on behalf of the 30 million American children and why I want to lend my voice to your remarkable efforts, hopefully inspiring others with a message of hope this Mother's Day.

Thank you for taking responsibility for the health of our children and for the care that you are showing. In these uncertain times, hope is such a galvanizing force. As you crusade for the health of our children, please know that mothers around the country stand beside you and that our collective abilities can and will bring forth the change that our children deserve. Together, with facts and resources in hand, we can inspire a remarkable change in our food system and health.

With heartfelt gratitude and inspired hope,

Robyn O'Brien
Author, The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It
Founder, AllergyKids
Mother of Four

Comments

[SGAZ]

I agree we need to pay attention to the food our children eat and make sure that the basic foundation includes lean protein, fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains and healthy fats. As a registered dietitian I also think that we need to be aware that media loves controversy and pointing the finger at certain food products. This is the case of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup has been the subject of a lot of attention and misinformation. Most of the problem stems from confusion about what high fructose corn syrup really is. Most people have heard of high fructose corn syrup, but aren't aware of how similar it is to common table sugar. Scientists continue to confirm that high fructose corn syrup is no different from other sweeteners. It is essentially the same as table sugar and honey, and has the same number of calories. Everyone always seems to be trying to single one food item out that is the root cause of obesity when really if you were eating 90% of the time from the healthy foundation foods I mentioned above people would feel better because they are getting the nutrients their body needs and I think people would be more active and it would most likely lead to weight loss.
Stephanie Green, Registered Dietitian

[WebMinion KcFoodcircle]

I'm glad we have folks waking up to our problems with conventional food.

ONE THING that makes the defense of corn syrup as a basic foodstuff irrelevant (so far as I am concerned):
The simple fact that high fructose corn syrup is converted to fat much more readily than beet and cane sugars makes me demand the better products.

AMONG OTHER THINGS that make excessive use of U.S. conventional corn products a problem for me and the people I care about:
GMO (genetically modified organisms), Monsanto-style BT corn is worm-free (sweet corn, nearly all of the varieties that hit our conventional supermarket shelves) because it (the corn itself) is actually poisonous to eat. I actually enjoy picking worms off of our local organic corn because I know, beyond any doubt, that if the worms are alive and having a good meal so will I be.

DON'T EVEN get me started on how much fossil-fuel energy goes into conventional corn (fertilizer, pesticides, harvesting, processing & transport) - and converting it to ethanol is just an end-of-the-pipeline shell-game, a massive consumer-directed fraud, which sends BIG OIL lots of cash, all subsidized (talk about adding insult to injury) by our tax dollars.

Nuf sed?

[Fleurdelys]

WoW, great read, thanks :)

Indeed, 1st Lady Obama is powerfully situated to exert considerable influence on the priority given to the various issues vying for the attention of the Obama administration. Now, more than ever, we absolutely require strong advocacy for improved standards at the level of the FDA with respect to the quality of our food, pharmaceutical and medicinal supplies; and appropriate regulation and oversight of the education and training of our medical personnel, with greater emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. Wisdom calls us to attend with even greater diligence and resources to the escalating crises of deteriorating health and nutrition that our nation faces than what we have seen allocated to the financial meltdown. Putting these issues front and center requires effective advocacy, and I couldn't agree more, our 1st Lady fits the bill perfectly !

[chitown]

The author's heart is in the right place, but Michelle Obama cannot take responsibility for the health of our children. That is the job of their parents, with the support of government. The only children Mrs. Obama can take responsibility for are Sasha and Malia, and they appear to be in great shape. It is enough that the Obamas model good parenting, including keeping themselves in good physical condition.