Michelle Obama Is Making Moves to Solve Childhood Obesity

Michelle Obama is working BIG TIME on helping America raise a healthier generation of kids, and in effect improving the overall health of our country.

For those not familiar yet with her program, Michelle is leading an initiative called "Let's Move" to help solve our country's epidemic of childhood obesity. Did you know that childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, and that one third of America's children are obese? Childhood obesity is not only damaging our kids physically, mentally, and emotionally, it is also destroying the health of our country.

Before coming to the White House the President and I lived lives like most families. Two working parents, busy -- trying to maintain some balance -- picking kids up from school, and trying to get things done at work. Just too busy. Not enough time. And what I found myself doing was probably making up for being unable to cook a good meal for my kids -- was going to fast food a little more than I'd like, ordering pizza ... And I started to see the effects on my family, particularly my kids. It got to the point where our pediatrician basically said you may want to make some changes. So I started making those changes. Short, easy changes. But they led to some really good results.

-- Michelle Obama

Michelle is now bringing the lessons she learned to the White House, and to the country at large.

The Let's Move initiative has four key components:

Helping parents make healthier choices for their families

Healthier foods in the schools

Access and affordability of healthy foods

Increased physical activity for our kids

"Let's Move is going to take families out of their isolation and give them the nationwide support that they need in a whole range of industries to get their kids on track to live healthier lives, to eat right, to get more exercise, and to be ready to face the challenges of the future," said Michelle in an interview posted on the Let's Move website.

Thank you Michelle for putting the focus of government where it needs to be - supporting the health and well-being of its citizens. Without healthy people in America, we've pretty much lost our course. If America aims to be a leader in the world, demonstrating healthy growth, prosperity, safety and peace for its people, then how we take care of ourselves as individuals and as a nation has to be the number one priority. Who cares how many tall buildings we construct, how much technology we invent, or how many companies we build? Without healthy citizens, it doesn't mean much.

You can learn more and get involved by going to Let'sMove.gov.

 

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Comments

[1088]

04:20 PM on 04/09/2010

Parents need to put time on playing video games, watching TV and computer usages. Time should be given for play time as well. But, many kids don't have any rules, and sitting until they are tired, then it's bed time. The culture of America has changed, and modern technology has taken over where parents has no control. Fast food restaurants are what is in style, because parents are too tired to cook a balance meal. We need to look at own family, and make a change that will include a healthy life style. First Lady Michelle Obama is not telling you what to do, but she is giving you information to help you get started to change towards a healthy life.

[Tabby Biddle]

09:27 PM on 04/09/2010

That's so true.

Knowledge is power.

The information being provided by Michelle Obama and everyone on the Let's Move team is there to help Americans get started to change towards a healthy lifestyle.

[UltimateLifestyle]

11:31 PM on 04/08/2010

Brilliant, Michelle Obama is a modern day angel. She has the power to inspire and motivate legions of working class families and children and is actively creating a better future for our children.

Lara Jane
Founder of the Ultimate Lifestyle Project
http://ultimatelifestyleproject.com/spiritual-quotient/

[Rosy]

03:55 PM on 04/08/2010

When I was a kid, we ate sugar cereals, drank koolaid, and ate cookies. We even had soda sometimes. But none of us were overweight. We ate these things in moderation, and we were always outside playing. We even walked to school. We had gym class daily. Increasing physical activity is probably the best way to combat childhood obesity. Kids definitely shouldn't go overboard on sugar, but attempting to eliminate every speck of it from a child's diet is probably not necessary. You can have a cookie, just get some exercise to make up for it. Nowadays kids spend all their time watching TV and playing video games, and in a lot of schools gym classes have been eliminated to save money, or to make room for more "academics" to improve test scores. Turn off the TV and play outside. Take your kids to the park on a Sunday afternoon.

[mdsman]

04:03 PM on 04/08/2010

I could not agree more
we don't need the government, we need to be better, more engaged parents

[HealthHabits]

11:15 AM on 04/09/2010

What we need to do and what we actually follow through on are two very different things.

It seems that common sense is becoming less and less common

[Tabby Biddle]

06:17 PM on 04/08/2010

Absolutely!

A cookie, piece of cake, and some candy treats are all part of a healthy childhood. It's when these things become staples in kids' diets -- to the exclusion of healthy whole foods -- that the trouble begins.

Playing outside, recess and gym class should be a part of EVERY child's life. I am appalled that many schools have cut their phys ed programs. This seems like the biggest mistake (well, one of the biggest at least) our school system has made. Thank goodness there are a lot of us working to get physical activity and phys ed programs back into children's lives!

Every voice matters.

Thanks for keeping the dialogue alive.