First Lady Unveils Plan to Tackle Childhood Obesity

First Lady Michelle Obama is taking on one the biggest health epidemics facing the country – childhood obesity.

With obesity rates tripling over the past decade and the country spending $150 billion annually to treat obesity-related health problems, Obama emphasizes health experts’ concerns that the expected lifespan of today’s kids could be shorter than that of their parents.

During an interview on The PBS NewsHour, Mrs. Obama talks about her own busy family’s struggle with eating out too much and spending more time sitting in car pools or watching television instead of being physically active.

Mrs. Obama’s initiative, dubbed “Let’s Move,” has a formidable goal – to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. The project calls for:

• strengthening support of American parents in their efforts to raise healthy children;


• motivating kids to be more physically active;


• making healthy food more affordable and available to all families; and


• putting healthier food in school cafeterias and vending machines.

Watch for “facelifts” to the Food Pyramid and the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge among other changes as “Let’s Move” marshals the efforts of top pediatricians, public health officials and even professional athletes. Learn about the First Lady’s program and hear more from her online at www.letsmove.gov. Don’t miss national health writer Christina Elston’s take on the initiative on her “HealthE” blog.

– Deirdre Wilson

Posted Feb. 9, 2010