First Lady Challenges Childhood Obesity
If anyone has the political capital, resources, and momentum to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, it’s Michelle Obama. The First Lady’s announcement on February 9th, 2010, that she would take on this challenge as her signature initiative – with the goal of eliminating childhood obesity in a single generation – pleased many alarmed by the epidemic. One in three children are now overweight or obese, a number that has tripled since 1980.
The initiative will tackle childhood obesity from all angles. First, food, both at home and at school: suppliers of school lunches have agreed to reduce the amount of fat, sugar, and salt in their meals, and Mrs. Obama has emphasized that healthy school lunches must be a priority. “We can’t be fooled by these false choices that we either provide healthy lunches or you have textbooks, but you can’t do both. We have to do both,” she told USA Today. To increase the availability of healthful choices in the current so-called “food deserts” (geographic areas without abundant fruits and vegetables), Obama proposes $400 million in tax credits and other incentives for grocery stores that move into these communities. Second, physical activity: the “Let’s Move” initiative will publicize the guidelines that children engage in at least 60 minutes of activity per day (an ambitious goal in our view, and wonderful to see) and will encourage more activity in schools.
The obesity initiative has been carefully designed, and we applaud the inclusion of so many partners and stakeholders in the work. Of note, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, head of an organization once blamed for cheapening the wrong kinds of foods, high-fructose corn syrup, and a food pyramid that led consumers astray for 50 years before its revision, has signed on to the effort to improve nutrition for children. The campaign has commitments from mayors, medical and business leaders, non-profit groups, foundations, grocery store owners, retailers, and sports teams.
As importantly, Michelle Obama has taken a non-judgmental tone as a down-to-earth parent who can relate to the challenges. As major change will require parents to incorporate healthier habits for families, an approach that empowers families – rather than leaving parents feeling blamed, attacked, or helpless – will be critical.
Dr. Fran Kaufman sounded the alarm regarding childhood obesity with her book Diabesity in 2005; at that time, experts predicted one in three children born in 2000 would have diabetes (and one in two Hispanic girls). If Michelle Obama and the country can reverse the trend, the beneficial effects on health, our health care system, and on taxpayers will be extraordinary. --EK
