The White House has a standing policy of not allowing President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to be used in advertising campaigns by private sector companies, though there have been many attempts to do so. The latest for Mrs. Obama: A post on the Celebrity Diet & Weight Loss Blog features "Michelle Obama's White House Diet Plan." The site is run by weightloss book author Stephen Gullo, and of course the plan is similar to diets included in Gullo's book "The THIN Commandments Diet," sold on the site. (Above: A sample menu from the plan, featured in the post)
Mrs. Obama's dramatic financial boost for the fashion industry has been well documented, and she's also been credited with an uptick in the sales of garden seeds and equipment, thanks to the Kitchen Garden, so it was only a matter of time before America's multi-billion dollar diet industry adopted the Let's Move! campaign. (Above: A screenshot of the post page, featuring a photo of the First Lady)
The post notes that Mrs. Obama has "gone to war" on the "childhood obesity epidemic" with Let's Move!, and then parses things the First Lady has been recorded to have consumed in the past.
"Despite a few hitches, Michelle Obama does appear to practice what she preaches," notes the post.
"On a typical morning, she [Mrs. Obama] might eat some scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and grapefruit. Turkey sausage is a great swap for the real deal. For a snack, she might eat a fruit and oatmeal bar. At a luncheon with the First Lady of Mexico, Michelle Obama ate a pulled chicken salad with cranberries, paired with mushrooms and potato gnocchi."
The site also notes Mrs. Obama's workout routine, which lately the First Lady has spent much time discussing--and performing on national TV.
"Despite her busy schedule, Obama makes time to work out by waking up at 4:30 a.m. She hits the treadmill, does some weight lifting, jumps rope, and does a little kickboxing now and then. Mrs. Obama has also been known to use the stair-climber and the stationary bike."
First Lady pens the forward for issue devoted to the second anniversary of Let's Move!; Agriculture Secretary is also a contributor... First Lady Michelle Obama has graced the cover of many magazines since President Obama took office, from Vogue to Better Homes and Gardens to More to the current cover of Prevention. But Mrs. Obama makes her first appearance on the cover of a scholarly journal with the special February edition of the bimonthly Childhood Obesity, devoted to the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign. Mrs. Obama wrote the forward for the issue, which is published in print and online. The Editor-in-Chief is David Katz, MD, MPH, a diet book author and the founding Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. He provides an opening editorial about Let's Move!.The full issue is available online HERE. "With the launch of this issue of Childhood Obesity, we have taken another important step forward," Mrs. Obama writes. "In these pages, scholars, policymakers, and health professionals provide valuable insight, commentary, and information on our epidemic of childhood obesity." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also has a piece in the issue, and writes about the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, the legislative centerpiece of the Let's Move! campaign. Other contributors include New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, who co-authors a piece with Shellie Y. Pfohl, Executive Director of the PCFSN; Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD; Sandra Hassink, MD; Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The issue includes articles on assessing the value of BMI screening and surveillance in schools; creating environments that support routine physical activity and a healthy lifestyle; after-school obesity prevention programs; nutrition standards for school meals; faith-based advocacy efforts to end childhood obesity; gaming and technology for weight control; and the role of sleep in childhood obesity. There is also a "roundtable discussion" about what is unknown about childhood obesity, industry efforts to help children make healthy food choices, and success stories from the Let's Move! campaign.
The First Lady's Forward:
Let's Move! Raising A Healthier Generation of Kids
When I first decided to focus on the issue of childhood obesity, I wondered whether it was really possible to make a difference. I knew the conventional wisdom on this issue—particularly when it comes to changing how and what our kids eat. There’s the assumption that kids don’t like healthy food, so why try to feed it to them? There’s the belief that healthy food doesn’t sell as well, so companies will never change the products they offer. There’s the sense that this problem is so big, and so entrenched, that no matter what we do, we’ll never be able to solve it.
Two years later, I am thrilled to report that because of the hard work and leadership of individuals and organizations from every sector of our society, we have begun to change the conversation about childhood obesity in America. Since we launched Let’s Move!, we’ve made significant progress—from providing our kids with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in school and in their communities, to getting families the information they need to make healthier decisions, to ensuring that more people have access to healthy, affordable food.
For example, major food manufacturers are cutting sugar, salt, and fat from their products. Restaurants are revamping their kids’ menus, loading them up with fresher, healthier options. Companies like Walgreens, superValu, Walmart, and Calhoun’s Grocery are committing to build or expand 1500 stores and sell fresh food in underserved communities across this country. Retailers are working to lower the cost of fruits, vegetables, and healthy options. Congress passed historic legislation to provide more nutritious school meals to millions of American children. Schools are growing gardens. More than 1,000 salad bars have been added to school cafeterias. Cities and towns are opening farmers’ markets. Congregations are holding summer nutrition programs for kids. Medical professionals are screening children for obesity and teaching parents how to address it. Consumers have a new icon, MyPlate, to help make healthy choices for their families. Parents are reading those food labels and rethinking the meals and snacks they serve to their kids.
And because we know that physical activity is also critical for keeping kids healthy, people across the country are coming up with innovative ways to help our kids engage in active play every day. schools are starting running clubs and fitness competitions, and teachers are incorporating physical activity into classes ranging from music to math. Communities are keeping high school gyms open on weekends. businesses are supporting youth sports leagues. Faith leaders are starting exercise minis-tries, and faith and community organizations have logged more than 1.5 million walking miles.
And with the launch of this issue of Childhood Obesity, we have taken another important step forward. In these pages, scholars, policymakers, and health professionals provide valuable insight, commentary, and information on our epidemic of childhood obesity. In doing so, they greatly enhance our conversation about this most urgent health challenge for our next generation.We still have a long way to go in solving this problem. But I am confident that with the leadership exemplified by parents, businesses, schools, physicians, and authors like those whose ideas fill these pages, we will solve this problem and give our children the happy, healthy futures they deserve.
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Childhood Obesitybills itself as "the journal of record for all aspects of communication on the broad spectrum of issues and strategies related to weight management and obesity prevention in children and adolescents." Notes the publisher, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc: "The Journal is in collaboration with the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians."
*CLICK HERE for all posts about the second anniversary of Let's Move!.
A cheerful story about the most powerful chef in America... Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass was much in the spotlight during First Lady's Michelle Obama's three-day tour for the second anniversaryof the Let's Move! campaign. The tour and more is covered in an Associated Press story published today. Thanks to his policy work, Kass, 31, is now the most powerful chef in America, and he gets cheery, no controversy coverage: Kass has a "to-die-for-job," he has "a fancy title" and the "star power that comes with his chef's jacket." Titled "White House Chef Kass Dishes Up Plates and Policy," the profile by Nancy Benac includes quotes from Top Chef host Tom Colicchio, a partner in the White House school lunch initiatives; Colicchio hosted Mrs. Obama and Kass during a tour event in Dallas, where they filmed a segment for the Bravo TV show (in the photo at top, Kass, mic in hand, and Mrs. Obama are at the event). Former White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib III, who hired and trained current Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, is also quoted. The piece is an update to Kass' first big profile in print, published in The New York Times in November of 2009, "A White House Chef Who Wears Two Hats" by Rachael L. Swarns. Scheib was quoted in that story, too.
The text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sam Kass has a to-die-for job as personal chef to the Obama family but whipping up their meals is probably the least important part of his portfolio.
Kass, 31, also has a fancy title as White House senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives. And that's put him out front this month as the first lady marks the second anniversary of her campaign against childhood obesity.
Kass has traveled the country to promote Michelle Obama's eat-right-and-exercise-more message, demonstrating along the way the pivotal role that he's come to play in helping establish policies that affect what millions of school kids consume each day and in trying to influence the American diet.
When Mrs. Obama was asked during a recent interview what was next for her "Let's Move" initiative, she quickly passed the question to Kass.
"What you got?" she demanded.
"We've got stuff," he promised her. "You're going to be busy."
On a recent trip with Mrs. Obama, the assistant White House chef was seemingly everywhere: emceeing a "Top Chef" school lunch competition, moderating a round-table discussion between the first lady and parents, briefing reporters on federal nutrition initiatives, and more. Kass, with his distinctive shaved head, wears a broad and relentless grin and speaks with an enthusiasm that's infectious as he gives shout-outs to people and programs that are "amazing," ''incredible," and "powerful." He has a knack for popping out just the right statistics about obesity, nutrition and exercise.
But no matter what his policy duties may be, five days a week Kass retrieves his chef's coat in the afternoon and heads upstairs to fill the Obamas' plates with healthy and appealing meals at 6:30 p.m., when President Barack Obama cuts short whatever's afoot in the West Wing to head home for dinner. Ed. note:Five days a week seems overstatement: Kass travels extensively for the Let's Move! campaign, and is frequently outside of Washington, DC at dinner time. Mrs. Obama has also become known for her "incognito" restaurant outings for dinner.
There's no need to consult with the first family on menu options — Kass knows their likes and dislikes by heart.
Kass is discreet about what he feeds the family, often batting away questions with a "top-secret" dodge. But he says the family "walks the walk" on healthy foods, eating balanced meals often dictated by what's in season in the White House garden. With, of course, the occasional splurge to keep the kids happy.
Mrs. Obama, for her part, says her girls "can't stay out of the kitchen when Sam is cooking." Among the health-conscious recipes Kass has talked up in recent months: seared tilapia with fried rice and broccoli and carrots, garden herb-roasted chicken with braised greens, broccoli soup, sweet potatoes and greens, and cauliflower gratin. His healthy snack suggestions include warm grapefruit with honey, and banana boats stuffed with raisins, nuts and crushed whole grain cereal. Ed. note:Check the sidebar of the blog for White House recipes.
The star power that comes with his chef's jacket only helps reinforce Kass' message about the importance of eating right. One minute he's demonstrating how to make turkey lasagna with spinach on morning TV or chatting with Elmo about healthy school lunches, and the next he's discussing new standards to improve meals on military bases or working with Wal-Mart to reduce the sodium content in packaged foods.
"We're seeing real changes, both big and small, happening all over the country, and incredible partnerships and people stepping up in ways that we just never could have foreseen," Kass says. "And this kind of effort has just been inspirational and gives us a lot of hope that we can truly overcome these problems in the years to come."
It's a measure of Kass' growing stature that he's gone from People magazine's "most beautiful" list in his first year in Washington to Fast Company's "most creative people in business" list in 2011. Ed. note:Kass was #11 on the Fast Company list of 100 geniuses and innovators, cited for the Walmart partnership.
Tom Colicchio, New York restaurateur and co-host of Bravo's "Top Chef," says Kass' passion for healthy eating and knowledge of the issue make him a natural for his dual role.
"He knows this stuff inside out," Colicchio said. "It's not him latching on to some trend. He's taken the time to learn it and understand it."
When more than 500 chefs gathered on the White House lawn in 2010 to launch the "Chefs Move to School" program, pairing up chefs to work with individual schools, "that came directly from Sam," says Colicchio. "This is something he cares deeply about."
Walter Scheib, White House chef for 11 years in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, says it's a "wonderful thing" that Kass' cooking has become secondary to his policy work.
"It's way overdue that chefs be involved in that component," says Scheib. While past White House chefs might offer occasional behind-the-scenes advice on nutrition matters, Scheib says, "We were always thought of as, 'Go back in the kitchen and be quiet.'"
Kass' relationship with the Obamas began when he cooked for the family in Chicago before the 2008 elections. He was a history major in college, who discovered a love for cooking during a summer job at a Chicago restaurant. He finished his college years abroad, and ended up training in Vienna with an acclaimed Austrian chef. Ed. note:Kass, a baseball star in high school, attended two different baseball-centric community colleges, hoping to make it into the Major Leagues. He then enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he earned his degree.
Back in Chicago (where his schoolteacher father taught Malia Obama in fifth grade) Kass worked at the Mediterranean restaurant Avec before opening a private chef business, Inevitable Table, that promotes "a healthy lifestyle that focuses on the quality and flavor of food to encourage good eating habits."
These days, Kass mixes plenty of cooking with his advocacy: He's fixed honey crisp apple salad at the Agriculture Department cafeteria, served Elmo a burrito bulging with peppers, lettuce, rice and beans, and prepared Swiss chard frittatas for children on the White House lawn.
He doesn't see much of his basement apartment as he juggles the roles of cook, policy wonk and family friend — even golfing with the president when the family vacations on Martha's Vineyard and in Hawaii.
He's also a big advocate for the White House garden, often helping troupes of schoolchildren harvest its bounty and teaching them about healthy eating.
At a child obesity conference last summer in California, Kass told about fretting over nightmare scenarios before hosting a group of schoolchildren for a summer harvest of broccoli, kale and other vegetables — an event that was to be observed by a sizeable press corps. He worried about the fallout if just one child set a vegetables-are-yucky tone that would derail the event.
"I didn't sleep at all the night before," he confessed. "One kid with some broccoli that they didn't like would be a national disaster for us. ... Everything we're doing would've been set back two years."
Instead, Kass found himself having to rein in a girl who sneaked off to a back bench to stuff her face with fresh-cut cauliflower.
"It's the only time in my professional career that I've ever had to ask a child to please put the vegetables back on the plate," he recalled to laughter, before turning serious.
"These kids were engaged in some part of the process of what it meant to grow and eat food," he said. "And that little thing is absolutely critical to making the connection and having the foundation that kids will build on in the future to live healthier lives."
The Obama Show: The President "vetoes" rice cakes, and gets in trouble for eating a hoagie... In a sketch that aired Saturday night, NBC's Saturday Night Live took note of FirstLady Michelle Obama's many recent TV outings promoting the Let's Move! campaign. The spoof posits that Mrs. Obama's next media project to spread the word about healthy eating and fitness will be "The Obama Show," a Cosby-esque sticom starring the First Family, set at the White House. Host Maya Rudolph, as Mrs. Obama, calls it "an educational yet laugh-filled half-hour comedy starring my family." Fred Armisen plays the beleagured President Obama, who has to sneak his unhealthy treats. He's caught by Mrs. Obama trying to eat a salami and potato chip hoagie after he's announced that he's "vetoing" rice cakes (above). "In the past few weeks I've made several TV appearances in order to bring attention to my childhood obesity campaign," Mrs. Obama says in the sketch. "...I've tried to teach kids and parents about fitness in a fun and entertaining way. But the work is not done."
In an apparent nod to another 80s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, SNL cast member Jason Sudekis plays Joe Jamal-Biden, the Obamas' adopted son.
The action is as goofy as any Cosby show storyline: Mrs. Obama discovers the President with his hoagy, and the President claims that "the kids" have left it around. Jamal-Biden enters, and takes the blame for the hoagie, in exchange for "Dad's" car keys. The sketch closes with the President and Mrs. Obama enjoying their rice cakes, snuggling on the couch.
First lady as TV star... In the past month, Mrs. Obama has become a TV regular. To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign, Mrs. Obama invited NBC talk show host Jimmy Fallon to the White House for a fitness challenge that aired on Late Night. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and beat DeGeneres in a push-up challenge. During her debut as First Lady on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Mrs. Obama got the veggie-hating Leno to dine on a buffet of healthy fare. On the Rachael Ray show, Mrs. Obama discussed healthy school lunches and the Super Bowl. During her Feb. 9-11 tour for Let's Move!, Mrs. Obama filmed a special segment for Bravo's Top Chef. (Above: The President hands his hoagy to Jamal-Biden as Mrs. Obama looks on)
In January, Mrs. Obama actually made her sitcom debut, appearing on Nickelodeon's hit show iCarly to promote the Joining Forces campaign. All of that is in addition to other TV appearances for Let's Move!, such as outings on NBC's Today show.
President Obama is at home at the White House... First Lady Michelle Obama is taking advantage of the long Presidents' Day holiday weekend, and arrived in Aspen, Colorado on Friday afternoon with daughters Malia and Sasha for a ski vacation, reports the Aspen Daily News. The private family outing was not announced by the White House, but the East wing confirmed it. Mrs. Obama and her party are reportedly staying at the home of Jim and Paula Crown, who own and operate Aspen Skiing Co., which has four resorts in Aspen. On Saturday, Mrs. Obama and the girls skied at the Crowns' Buttermilk, a resort designed for beginners and families. (Above: Mrs. Obama and the girls in Aspen)
President Obama is at home in Washington. Mrs. Obama spent last year's long weekend in Colorado, too, hitting the slopes at Vail and Beaver Creek. During that vacation, the First Lady'sdinner visit to Restaurant Kelly Liken created international headlines after talk show host Rush Limbaugh called the First Lady "fat" on air, thanks to her order of a pickled pumpkin salad with arugula and a braised ancho-chile short rib with hominy wild mushrooms and sauteed kale. Chef Liken pushed back, and was later invited to the White House for a visit.
This year's vacation is getting the expected criticism because the US economy is still performing poorly, and Mrs. Obama was on vacation for 17 days in Hawaii over the Christmas holiday.
Last July, Mrs. Obama spoke at a 2012 fundraiser at the Crowns’ residence to about 150 supporters, who paid between $1,000 and $10,000 to attend. The event was a joint fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and President Obama’s 2012 campaign.
Jim Crown, who hails from Chicago, is a member of the Crown Family, which owns Henry Crown and Company, an investment firm that owns or has interests in a variety of business assets, including stakes in sports teams the Chicago Bulls and the New York Yankees, banking (JPMorgan Chase), and real estate (Rockefeller Center).
27 projects include Growing Power, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, Uncommon Good... The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced $4.8 million in funding for 27 grants to local organizations to build community food systems and fight hunger and food insecurity for FY 2011. The awards were made by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through its Community Food Projects program. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $300,000. Growing Power, urban farming expert Will Allen's Milwaukee, WI project, received $250;000; First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Chicago branch of the project last fall during the Let's Move! Food Desert Summit. The award-winning projects also include a teen-run community kitchen incubator, faith-based community food assessments, a program to help indigenous people return to healthful eating, and a youth-led food security movement.
"Hunger remains an important issue in the United States. Last year, 17.2 million households faced food insecurity—meaning they lacked consistent access to adequate food," said Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon. "The grants supported by the Community Food Projects empower local organizations to respond to food and nutrition needs in their own communities."
Community Food Projects have been funded in nearly 350 communities in 48 states in the program's 15-year history.
The primary goals of the Community Food Projects program are to (1) meet the food needs of low-income individuals; (2) increase the food self-reliance of low-income communities; (3) promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; and (4) meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, including needs relating to infrastructure improvement and development, planning for long-term solutions and the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.
Fiscal Year 2011 awards include:
Juneau Cooperative Christian Ministry, Juneau, Alaska, $93,825
International Sonoran Desert Alliance, Ajo, Ariz., $163,807
Developing Innovations in Navajo Education, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz., $116,863
Uncommon Good, Claremont, Calif., $300,000
North Oxnard United Methodist Church, Oxnard, Calif., $24,884
Urban Tilth, Richmond, Calif., $300,000
North Coast Opportunities, Inc., Ukiah, Calif.; $300,000
Las Animas Helping Hands, Las Animas, Colo, $25,000
Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Honolulu, Hawaii, $25, 000
Matthew 25 Ministry Hub, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, $25,000
Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, Kansas City, Kansas, $124,587
Good Shepherd Food-Bank, Auburn, Maine, $25,000
Cultivating Community, Portland, Maine, $300,000
United Teen Equality Center, Lowell, Mass., $297,767
Youth Farm and Market Project, Minneapolis, Minn., $299,660
Rio Puerco Alliance, Santa Fe, N.M., $25,000
Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford Stuyvesant History, Brooklyn, N.Y., $197,500
PathStone Community Improvement of Newburgh, Newburgh, N.Y., $25,000
Why Hunger, New York City, N.Y., $250,000
Community Food Security Coalition, Portland, Ore, $250,000
Friends of Zenger Farm, Portland, Ore., $187,860
Urban Tree Connection, Philadelphia, Pa., $300,000
Women's Community Revitalization Project, Philadelphia, Pa., $269,317
Staunton Creative Community Fund, Inc., Staunton, Va., $25,000
Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Community Center, Madison, Wis., $298,930
Growing Power, Milwaukee, Wis., $250,000
More information on USDA hunger efforts... USDA's Household Food Security in the United States, 2010 report found that the percentage of very low food security declined from 5.7 percent of households in 2009 to 5.4 percent in 2010. The USDA study indicates that in 2010, 17.2 million households in America had difficulty providing enough food due to a lack of resources. The number of food insecure households in 2010 was relatively consistent with statistics released in 2008 and 2009.
The report also indicates that 59 percent of all food-insecure households participated in one or more of the three largest nutrition assistance programs near the time of the survey. In fiscal year 2010, these programs provided much needed food assistance to millions of individuals, children and families in need:
In an average month of fiscal year 2011, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided benefits to 44.7 million people in the United States.
In fiscal year 2011, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provided meals to an average of 31.8 million children each school day.
In fiscal year 2011, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) served an average 9 million participants.
Food insecurity rates were substantially higher than the national average for households with incomes near or below the current federal poverty line ($22,350 for a family of four), households with children headed by single women or single men, and black and Hispanic households. Food insecurity was more common in large cities and rural areas than in suburban areas and other outlying areas around large cities.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
USDA's nutrition programs remain largely intact; inspection fees increase... President Obama on Monday unveiled a proposed $3.8 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2013, which the White House said contains $4 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade. For the US Department of Agriculture, the budget is designed to reduce mandatory farm bill spending by $32 billion over 10 years. There are $700 million in cuts for FY 2013, or about 3%. The proposal projects total department spending of $154.5 billion for fiscal year 2013 compared to estimated fiscal year 2012 spending of $150.6 billion and actual spending of $139.4 billion in fiscal year 2011. (Above: The President speaking today about the budget)
The proposal calls for the elimination of direct farm payments, something the President has been threatening--or promising--since the 2008 campaign. These accounted for about 44% of farm aid in FY 2011, according to the Administration. The proposal cuts farmers’ crop insurance premium subsidies by 2%, but reinstates permanent disaster programs for farmers, and increases competitive grants for agricultural research. Download:Department of Agriculture Budget[PDF]. “For the past decade, the agricultural sector has been extremely strong,” President Obama’s budget document said, noting that overall farm incomes were projected to jump $21.8 billion in 2011, the second-highest inflation-adjusted value for farm income in 35 years.
"Deficit reduction savings are achieved by eliminating direct farm payments, decreasing subsidies to crop insurance companies, and better targeting conservation funding."
Nutrition assistance... Funding for nutrition programs, by far the largest sector of USDA spending, is expected to go down to $102.7 billion in FY 2013 compared with an estimated $104.6 billion in fiscal year 2012. The number of food stamp beneficiaries, which has hit record highs during the Obama Administration (currently at about 46 million Americans), is projected to decrease as the economy improves. The proposal "preserves a strong Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to prevent hunger for millions of Americans" according to the budget document, and offers $7.5 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is used by 9.1 million beneficiaries. It also "supports State, local, and Tribal efforts to serve healthy meals and snacks to schoolchildren."
There will be more federal money for research into human nutrition and obesity reduction, key priorities for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, which coordinates the activity of 12 different federal agencies. These are included in the budget proposal as part of a plan to boost agriculture and food research by $325 million.
A "thriving" farm economy...and a "strong safety net" The cuts will not impede the thriving US farm economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during an afternoon briefing with reporters, and stressed that despite the cuts in direct payments, a "strong safety net" is in place for farmers. Overall spending on crop insurance will continue to rise, but the proposed cuts would involve catastrophic coverage, caps on administrative and operating funds and “the appropriate return for the companies."
“Farmers need to know that one bad crop won’t put them out of business, so this budget maintains a strong safety net with disaster assistance, income support, and farm loans,” Vilsack said.
“To help sustain record farm income, we will invest in research and development to improve agricultural productivity," Vilsack said. "The budget makes a 23% increase in funding for our premier competitive grants program to support the most worthy projects and continues support for in-house research and the land grant universities. We’ll continue our efforts to combat destructive pests and disease that threaten crops and livestock.”
There will be sharp increases in user fees associated with safety inspections; the proposed user fees would be a more than 91% jump over the estimated 2012 amount of $139 million; USDA had actual user fee income of $103 million in 2011.
Conservation... The budget proposes cutting $624 million from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service programs. The plan calls for capping the Conservation Reserve Program at 30 million acres by 2013, in order to save $977 million over 10 years. The budget also proposes zeroing out the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, saving $15 million per year, while increasing the Conservation Stewardship Program from $1.4 billion to $1.403 billion, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program from $769 million to $972 million.
The budget is unlikely to be approved by Congress as it currently exists. House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) immediately derided the President's budget proposal.
"The President's budget demonstrates that neither rural America nor fiscal discipline is a priority for this administration," Lucas said in a statement on Monday. "Raising taxes on small businesses and ignoring the real drivers of trillion dollar deficits is a failure of leadership. The agriculture community remains committed to doing its part in deficit reduction. However, this proposal shows a lack of perspective and understanding in how agriculture can realistically contribute."
The proposal to cut crop insurance "threatens the integrity of the program itself," Lucas said, adding that the President "ignores other areas for savings such as streamlining or eliminating duplicative programs in conservation, or closing loopholes in nutrition spending."
In a statement about the overall budget, Vilsack called it a "a make-or-break moment for the middle class."
“What’s at stake is the basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well enough to raise a family, own a home, and put a little away for retirement,” he said. “To keep that promise alive, we need an economy that makes, creates and innovates — an economy that's built to last.”
CLICK HERE for a transcript and video of the President's remarks on the budget.
First Lady: The campaign is working...and the President loves nachos and guacamole; Transcript & Video... On the heels of the second anniversary tour for Let's Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama today published an editorial on CNN's website to recap the progress of her national campaign. She writes that she was initially worried that a campaign to combat childhood obesity would be impossible, but the last two years have proven otherwise. Mrs. Obama also took questions via video on CNN's iReport to mark the anniversary, and answers them in the video, below. (Above: A screenshot of Mrs. Obama answering a question)
"Over the past two years, we have seen a new conversation in this country about how we live and eat and how that affects the health and well-being of our kids," Mrs. Obama writes in her editorial. "Since we launched Let's Move!, people from every corner of this country who care about our children's futures have stepped up and proved the conventional wisdom wrong."
In the video, Mrs. Obama holds an iPad and pretends to watch the video questions that were sent in by CNN users. Among other topics, she answers questions about President Obama's favorite snack--nachos and chips is the First Lady'scurrent favorite answer ("he has a weakness for them"), and whether or not daughters Malia and Sasha are allowed to eat junk food. She also describes her crushingly difficult fitness routine, the benefits of which have lately been on display on national TV. The First Lady's editorial:
"Working Together for the Health of America's Children" By First Lady Michelle Obama
Back when we first launched Let's Move! -- a nationwide initiative to end our childhood obesity epidemic -- in the back of my mind, I wondered whether it was really possible to make a difference.
I knew how serious this problem is. Nearly one in three of our children are overweight or obese, at risk for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer that cost our economy billions of dollars each year to treat.
I also knew the conventional wisdom on this issue. There's the assumption that kids don't like healthy food, so why try to feed it to them? There's the belief that healthy food doesn't sell as well, so companies will never change the products they offer. And there's the sense that this problem is so big and entrenched that no matter what we do, we'll never be able to solve it.
But over the past two years, we have seen a new conversation in this country about how we live and eat and how that affects the health and well-being of our kids. Since we launched Let's Move!, people from every corner of this country who care about our children's futures have stepped up and proved the conventional wisdom wrong.
Food manufacturers have pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from the products they sell. Local grocers and national chains such as Walgreens and SuperValu are building new supermarkets and expanding existing stores to sell fresh food in 1,500 underserved communities. Restaurants are transforming their kids' menus, packing them with healthier options.
Mayors are planting gardens and refurbishing parks. Congregations are sponsoring summer nutrition programs for kids and exercise ministries for families. Congress passed historic legislation to provide healthier school meals, getting more fruits and vegetables and other nutritious food to the tens of millions of children who eat school breakfasts and lunches each day. We're also working to install salad bars in 6,000 schools, and more than 3,400 professional chefs have signed up to help schools improve their menus.
Celebrities from Beyonce to LeBron James to Drew Brees are serving as role models, inspiring our kids to dance, dribble and pass their way to a healthier life. And more than one million children have earned the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award by exercising an hour a day, five days a week, for six weeks. Most important of all, parents all across this country are making important changes for their families.
They're pushing their kids to be more active. They're reading those food labels and rethinking the meals and snacks they serve. And they're coming together to advocate for healthier food in their kids' schools and more opportunities for their kids to get active in their communities. In the end, that's really what Let's Move! is all about.
Government certainly doesn't have all the answers here; there's no one-size-fits-all program or policy that will solve this problem. Every community and every family is different, and each of us needs to make changes that fit with our budgets, our needs and our tastes.
But in the end, we all have a stake in solving this problem because we all love our children and want them to have every opportunity to pursue their dreams. And we all love our country and know that we as a nation cannot fulfill our promise unless our children can fulfill their promise. So we all need to step up and do our part. And while it won't be easy, I am confident that if we keep coming together and working together, we'll be able to give our kids everything they need for the bright, healthy futures they so richly deserve.
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*CLICK HERE for all posts about the Let's Move! tour, which had eight stops in four states.
How do you get kids to eat healthy? What are your hopes and dreams?... In a new 6+-minute video released today by President Obama's re-election HQ, Obama for America, First Lady Michelle Obama answered four questions sent in to her @MichelleObama Twitter account. She discussed her "hopes and dreams" for daughters Malia and Sasha, her role models (her parents) and responded at the 4:41 mark to a question about getting kids to "eat healthy." Mrs. Obama has just returned from a three-day tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let's Move!, and today she also has an editorial on CNN about her campaign, and another video responding to questions (CLICK HERE).
The healthy eating Q: "When you girls were younger, did you have any difficulty getting them to eat healthy? Any tips for the under-5 crowd?"
"Our kids did not come into this world as vegetable fans," Mrs. Obama said. "They were like every other kid so it wasn't easy to get them focused on eating what was right for them."
Mrs Obama advised parents to have "fresh produce around and available and easy for them to access."
"It tastes so much better when it's fresh which is one of the reasons that we're working to improve access to fresh produce in communities across the country."
Another piece of advice: Let kids be the deciders.
"The other thing that helps kids is letting them pick which fruits and vegetables they like and then making that food available at home," Mrs. Obama said. "For example I like to leave a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen so its easy for the girls to reach and to have that more available than cookies and other snacks."
"You're definitely on the right track if you're staring early. It's much easier to get kids to eat healthy foods if they're started young."
Florida Finale: Disney Channel stars join First Lady for final stop on three-day tour... Orlando, FLA: For the eighth and final stop on the three-day Let's Move! anniversary tour, First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday joined about 800 kids at the Walt Disney World Resort to dance and play sports. The event came shortly after Mrs. Obama's appearance in Longwood, Florida, at the headquarters of Northland, a Church Distributed, where she gave the keynote speech of her eight-event trip. (Above: Mrs. Obama dancing with Perry the Platypus, and Disney actors Debby Ryan and Rosero McCoy)
Members of the audience from Northland were invited to join Mrs. Obama at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the other guests were hand-picked by the White House, according to a Disney spokesman. Florida, a battleground state for the 2012 election, had four events for the First Lady's tour: A WebMd townhall on Friday afternoon in Homestead, and a private dinner with the Halls Family on Friday evening, as well as the speech at Northland. Mrs. Obama last visited Florida on January 26th to unveil a Let's Move! commitment from Goya Foods. President Obama visited Disney World in January to unveil his plans to boost tourism.
"You guys know I like to dance," Mrs. Obama told the thrilled crowd at the resort. "I haven't completely gotten the dance down, but I'm going to watch you all -- right?" She did fine:
Disney has joined Let's Move! with the "Magic of Healthy Living" campaign, and the First Lady was joined at the event by Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who performed 50 military push-ups to show how seriously he takes fitness. Mrs. Obama made brief remarks, and she danced "The Platypus Walk" with the kids, from the Disney TV show "Phineas and Ferb." She also played a few rounds of junior tennis, and ran around with the kids. Disney Channel stars Debby Ryan, Roshon Fegan, Doc Shaw, Kelsey Chow, and Olivia Holt joined Mrs. Obama.
CLICK HERE for all posts about the First Lady's tour, which kicked off on Feb. 9 with an arena event for 14,000 kids in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Obama was accompanied on her trip by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass; her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. Members of the White House new media team and photographers also traveled to capture the action, which included filming a segment for Bravo TV show Top Chef.
The transcript of the First Lady's remarks:
THE WHITE HOUSE _________________________________
Office of the First Lady
For Immediate Release February 11, 2012
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT A "LET'S MOVE FAITH AND COMMUNITIES" PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH DISNEY MAGIC OF HEALTHY LIVING
ESPN Wide World of Sports Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida
2:25 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, my gosh! You guys be careful! (Applause.) Oh, wow! It sounds like you all are having some good fun out here! (Applause.)
You know, I am happy to be here. We are celebrating the second anniversary of "Let's Move." I have been traveling all over the country -- I've been to Iowa, watching how kids are eating well and changing their schools. I've been to Dallas, with "Top Chef." (Applause.) And we've made -- Dallas! (Applause.) I had some good dinner here in Florida. And now I'm hanging out with all of you.
And I just want to thank Disney and all that they have done to support "Let's Move" and to make sure that our kids are eating right and being active. Right? We want to give Disney a big round of applause. (Applause.)
So now I hear you all have been practicing something for me. You've got a little dance you want to show me?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: You guys know I like to dance. I haven't completely gotten the dance down, but I'm going to watch you all -- right? All right, you all ready to do some dancing?
AUDIENCE; Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: Let's do it!
END 2:27 P.M. EST
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*Top photo via Disney; second by Chuck Kennedy/White House
Harnessing the power of the pulpit to combat childhood obesity: If food is love, traditions have to be adapted, First Lady says... Longwood, Florida: On Saturday morning, First Lady Michelle Obama gave the longest speech of her three-day second anniversary tour for the Let's Move! campaign to a very excited crowd of about 3,000 at Northland, A Church Distributed. The mega-organization has a vast internet presence in addition to a brick and mortar location, and the huge sanctuary features jumbo video screens. It was dramatically lit for the First Lady's appearance, and she was preceded onstage by gospel vocalists, who were included in the White House's livestream of the event. During her remarks, Mrs. Obama celebrated not only the success of her campaign, but also the huge response from those involved in "Let's Move! Faith and Communities," a campaign component launched in November of 2010 to involve religious institutions and community organizations. (Above: Mrs. Obama speaking from the pulpit)
“America’s faith communities play a crucial role in guiding and strengthening not only our spiritual health, but our emotional and physical health as well,” Mrs. Obama said. The faith and communities component has received a major push from the campaign: Mrs. Obama's speech for the first anniversary of Let's Move! also took place at a church. About 78.4% of Americans identify as Christian, with 4.7% identifying themselves as members of other faiths, according to a survey from the Pew research group.
"Every day, you’re serving God by serving others. Every day, you’re proving that when we come together to do good works, no challenge is too big, no problem too hard, and there is no such thing as a hopeless cause. No such thing," Mrs. Obama said.
"And that, more than anything else, is the story of "Let's Move."
Clad in a purple dress with a cowl neckline, her hair rolled back, Mrs. Obama was quietly passionate as she hailed the efforts of America's faith leaders to support her campaign; the Northland audience included "more than 120 congregations and organizations representing at least 15 different faiths and denominations," Mrs. Obama said. During the past year, Mrs. Obama has received a huge series of private-sector pledges for the Let's Move! campaign, and she ticked these off in her speech. She also spoke about the importance of food in religious celebrations--and the importance of faith organizations making healthy changes to combat America's childhood obesity epidemic.
"Whether it’s Christmas supper, Passover Seder, Iftar dinner, so many of our most sacred holidays revolve around food," Mrs. Obama said. "All those familiar smells and tastes, and the memories that go along with them -- all of that brings us joy and comfort. Times may be tough and money may be tight, but at least we can still serve up Uncle Joe’s ribs or Abuela’s Arroz con pollo -- huh? That’s how we show our families that we care about them. Right?
"No matter what culture we come from, no matter what faith we believe in, for so many of us, food is love. Food is sometimes all we have."
But there's a kicker, of course, Mrs. Obama told her audience. Celebrations should go on, but these must be healthy, in order to preserve the future for America's kids.
"We’re going to have to make some changes, some modifications to adapt these traditions to our way of life today," Mrs. Obama said. "And that’s really where all of you come in. That's why today was such an important part of our celebration. Because that is what our faith communities do best--you inspire and empower people to make meaningful changes in their lives."
She lauded congregations and community groups who are leading the way, including Northland.
"It’s no accident that this church hosts classes to help folks lead healthier lives. It’s no accident that, long before we ever started "Let's Move," so many congregations were already sponsoring health ministries and fitness classes, hosting food pantries and summer nutrition programs for our kids."
Mrs. Obama gave a shout out to Muslim community leaders who are "hosting sports tournaments to encourage young people to get active," and The Jewish Community Centers Association's efforts to encourage gardens and create early child wellness programs. The National Baptist Convention is attempting to have "health ambassadors" at all of their nearly 10,000 churches by September, she said.
"And some of their churches have already created “no fry” zones in their congregations."
There's plenty of room for expansion, Mrs. Obama said, which was the main point of her speech: Harnessing the power of the pulpit to create lasting change.
"Let’s not forget that all of this represents the efforts of just a tiny fraction of our faith and community organizations. Just a tiny fraction," Mrs. Obama said. "So just imagine what we could achieve if every single organization and every single congregation in America got involved in this way."
Before she closed, Mrs. Obama announced a video contest for faith and community groups (full details here), and promised the winners a White House visit. The First Lady ended to thunderous applause, and worked the ropeline for about fifteen minutes before departing for a sports event at Walt Disney World Resort. Members of the Northland community were invited to participate.
Mrs. Obama was introduced by Northland's senior pastor, Joel Hunter, who ticked off her impressive resume--Princeton and Harvard Law graduate--but noted that she's most proud of being "Malia and Sasha's mom." He also recalled a meeting with President Obama, in which Hunter praised his leadership and great family, and the President replied, "I don't know how it is in your house," but in the First Family, "I'm just labor."
The Florida focus and Campaign 2012... On Friday, the First Lady acknowledged during an interview with reporters traveling with her that the Let's Move! tour is as much about her husband's re-election push as it is about child health initiatives.
"This is a bit of a two-fer," Mrs. Obama said of the tour. "Because it's an issue that I care about, and it's an issue that's important to the country. ...I want to make sure that what I do enhances him."
The anniversary tour has been one of Mrs. Obama's longest tours as First Lady, and came as Mr. Obama marked the fifth anniversary of first announcing his candidacy for the presidency. Florida, a battleground state for the President's 2012 re-election effort, had four events for the First Lady's tour: A WebMd townhall on Friday afternoon in Homestead; a private dinner with the Halls Family on Friday evening; and the sports event at Walt Disney World Resort, as well as the speech at Northland. Mrs. Obama last visited Florida on January 26th to unveil a Let's Move! commitment from Goya Foods; she also attended two fundraisers. President Obamavisited Disney World in January to unveil his plans to boost tourism. (Above: Mrs. Obama greets the crowd)
Mrs. Obama marked the first anniversary of Let's Move! with a relatively simple day trip to Atlanta, Georgia, where she spoke at North Point Church and visited a school. The 2012 election was much farther away on the event horizon in February of 2011. The two reporters selected by the White House to fly with Mrs. Obama aboard her plane during the tour have typically covered the President, and have in the past expended little ink on Let's Move!: The New York Times' Mark Landler and Wall Street Journal'sCarol Lee.
The First Lady's second birthday tour kicked off on Feb. 9 with an arena event for 14,000 kids in Des Moines, Iowa, which aptly illustrated her power on the campaign trail. She also visited Little Rock, Arkansas, and Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas. The First Lady was accompanied on her tour by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass; her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. Members of the White House new media team and photographers are capturing the action.
Speaking in Longwood, Florida at Northland, A Church Distributed on Saturday, First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the second anniversary of the Let’s Move! campaign by announcing the "Communities on the Move Video Challenge." She invited faith-based, community, and other non-profit organizations to enter the contest with "inspiring videos about their efforts to reverse the trend of childhood obesity." The deadline is April 6, and winners will be announced in June. Full details after the jump. "The challenge will recognize community efforts that promote healthy lifestyles for kids by encouraging nutritious eating through USDA’s MyPlate icon, increasing physical activity, and/or ensuring access to healthy, affordable foods," according to the White House. Winners will be invited to visit the White House, Mrs. Obama said, in addition to receiving cash prizes. A full post about Mrs. Obama's visit to Northland IS HERE.
“America’s faith communities play a crucial role in guiding and strengthening not only our spiritual health, but our emotional and physical health as well,” Mrs. Obama said. “Over the past two years, I’ve been inspired by all of the faith leaders and congregations who have taken action to get active and eat healthier, and so we’re launching our Let’s Move! video contest to highlight some of the best examples. I know there’s so much incredible work being done – and I can’t wait to hear some of these stories first-hand at the White House.”
The contest details... Videos should be between one to three minutes long, have a clear connection to Let’s Move!, and describe how the organization entering has worked to improve the wellness of children. The organization may operate at the national or local level. Videos must focus on topics in one or more of three areas of interest: (1) healthy eating, (2) physical activity, and/or (3) access to healthy, affordable food. At some point in the video, the video must direct viewers towww.letsmove.gov for more information. For more guidance about the areas of interest, view the MyPlate Community Toolkit available at the Resources section of www.communities.challenge.gov.
There will be two winning entries selected – a First Prize winner judged by a panel of experts from Let’s Move!, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, and a Popular Choice winner selected through public voting.
Both winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a Let’s Move! event where they will have a special opportunity to showcase their video. They each will receive an award of $1000 to defray travel costs. In addition, up to seven Honorable Mention winners will be selected by our same panel of experts and invited to Washington, DC as well. All the winners will have their videos featured on theLet’s Move! website
Administration of the video challenge is provided by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. To learn more about MyPlate, visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Longwood, FLA: During the seventh stop on the Let's Move! second anniversary tour, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to an audience of about 3,000 at Northland, a Church Distributed. A FULL POST IS HERE. The First Lady's four-state tour kicked off on Feb. 9 with an arena event for 14,000 kids in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Obama was accompanied on her trip by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass; her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. CLICK HERE for all posts about the First Lady's tour.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the First Lady ________________________
For Immediate Release February 11, 2012
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT "LET'S MOVE" FAITH AND COMMUNITIES EVENT
Northland Church Longwood, Florida
10:17 A.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Good morning! Oh, you rest yourselves. (Laughter.) I know you've been through a lot this morning -- a little dancing, a little working out. So you need a little rest. (Laughter.)
But I want to thank you all so much. I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you today as we celebrate the second anniversary of "Let's Move." It's a birthday. (Applause.)
And I want to start by thanking Pastor Hunter and Becky for, oh, that very kind introduction. We love those two people very dearly. They are tremendous role models to our family, to their community, to this nation. And I am grateful that they're hosting us here today. So let's give them a wonderful round of applause. (Applause.) Thank you so much.
I also want to thank Nemours for their support for today's events and for their partnership in so many of our "Let's Move" initiatives.
And finally, I want to thank all of you. We have got folks here from more than 120 congregations and organizations representing at least 15 different faiths and denominations. But we are all (applause) -- that's wonderful. That is wonderful. And you're here on a Saturday morning, which is another wonderful thing. (Laughter.) Now, that's some commitment. Like that. (Laughter.)
But we are all here today for one very simple reason -- because we love our children, and we are determined to build a future that is worthy of their promise.
That’s what so many of you are doing every day in your congregations and in your communities. Whether you volunteer with a homeless ministry of a food bank, whether you’re fighting for better health care or a cleaner environment, every day, so many of you are taking on the most urgent challenges of our time.
Every day, you’re serving God by serving others. Every day, you’re proving that when we come together to do good works, no challenge is too big, no problem too hard, and there is no such thing as a hopeless cause. No such thing. And that, more than anything else, is the story of "Let's Move."
It’s the story of a very serious challenge -- a challenge that many of us believed was too big, too complicated, too entrenched for us to solve. And that problem is our epidemic of childhood obesity -- the fact that right now, one-third of our children are overweight or obese. And they’re at risk for serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease that undermine their health, that diminish their prospects, and they cost our economy billions of dollars each year.
But the story of "Let's Move" is also the story of individuals and organizations from every sector of our society who have stepped forward to meet this challenge. It’s the story of food manufacturers who’ve pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from their products. Companies like Goya Foods that are giving our family the information they need to make healthy choices about what they eat. Local grocers and national chains like Walgreens, SuperValu -- they're building new supermarkets and selling fresh food in 1,500 underserved communities in this country. (Applause.)
Our restaurants are stepping up, transforming their kids’ menus, loading them with healthier options. Our mayors out there across the country, they're planting gardens, they're refurbishing parks. Congress passed historic legislation to provide healthier school meals for millions of our children. (Applause.) More than 3,400 professional chefs have signed up to help local schools improve their menus.
And then there are our celebrities -- everyone from Beyonce to LeBron to Drew Brees are serving as role models, inspiring our kids to dance, dribble and pass their way to a healthier life.
And it's important to know that all these folks are doing these things not just as business leaders who are concerned about their bottom lines -- not just as elected officials serving their constituents, or as celebrities promoting a cause. They’re doing this as parents and grandparents who care about our nation’s children. They’re doing it as citizens who know that we as a country cannot fulfill our promise unless our children can fulfill their promise. (Applause.)
And they’re doing it because they know that when children here in one of the nations -- richest nations on Earth aren’t getting the nutrition they need, when one in three of our children is on track to develop diabetes in their lifetimes, that means it’s time for us to act. Because this isn’t who we are, and it certainly isn’t who we want to be.
We know that something better is possible for our children. And we are determined to solve this problem once and for all. But we know that if we truly want to end our obesity epidemic so that our kids can have a healthier future, then we have to understand how did we get here in the first place, how did we wind up here.
So I want you all to think back, think way back -- especially the grown folks like me -- think back to when many of us were kids, all those years ago. Now, the children, you might not even understand how life was back then. (Laughter.) Most of us led reasonably healthy lives. We walked to and from school every day -- rain or shine. (Applause.) Amen. And in Chicago, where I was raised, we did it in the hail, sleet, snow, gale-force winds. (Applause.) Yes, I sound just like my grandfather. Never thought I would. (Laughter.)
Back then, our TVs only had a few channels -- you remember that? (Laughter.) Just a handful of channels. And when those Saturday morning cartoons were finished, we were done with TV. That was it. It was over. (Laughter.) Once American Bandstand and Soul Train were over -- (applause) -- you had to go outside and play -- right? And back then, playing did not involve a screen or a remote control. (Laughter.) It meant actually moving your bodies. (Laughter.) It meant riding bikes, jumping double-dutch, playing tag until our mothers called us in for dinner.
And then when we ate that dinner, we all sat around the table as a family. (Applause.) Yes. And our food wasn’t fancy. Because we didn’t have a lot of money, the portion sizes had to be reasonable -- right? (Laughter.) There was always a vegetable on the plate. (Applause.) And we ate whatever we were served. (Applause.) My mother never cared whether my brother or I liked what was on our plate. (Laughter.) We either ate what was there, or we went to bed hungry. That was the bottom line.
And in those days, we hardly ever ate out. Fast food was considered a rare treat. In fact, I tell this story often, but I can still remember the time that my brother and I convinced our grandmother to let us have takeout burgers and fries for lunch. Now, we were shocked when she finally agreed. We could barely contain our excitement. So when the food arrived, Grandma unwrapped the burger, put it on a plate -- because you had to eat on a plate no matter what you were eating -- (laughter) -- put the fries on a plate. We were sitting there all excited, and then what does she do? She opened up a can of peas. (Laughter.) She opened up a can of a can of peas. And to our horror, she served us two scoops each. My brother and I, we were like, "Grandma, no!" (Laughter.) Because fast food or not, my grandma, she believed in feeding her family a balanced meal at every single meal. Every single meal. (Applause.)
See, back then, our society was structured so that healthy eating and exercise were just natural parts of kids’ lives -- all our lives. We didn’t have to think about it, that was just the way it was.
But today, unfortunately, it’s the exact opposite. It's the exact opposite. Many kids no longer attend neighborhood schools, so instead of walking or riding their bikes to school, they're taking a bus or car. Instead of just a few hours of cartoons on weekends, there are entire networks devoted to children’s programming and the Internet is available 24/7. That was just never an option for us. So today, when our kids go and “play,” that often means they're sitting in one place for hours, clicking, typing, texting away -- not moving a lick.
And for many folks, those wholesome family meals are, unfortunately, a thing of the past. See, a lot of our families today are living in communities without a single grocery store, so they have to buy their food at places like gas stations or corner stores, places with few, if any, healthy options.
And frankly, a lot of parents today are just plain tired. Folks are working longer hours to make ends meet and everyone is under more stress. And as much as we all hate to admit it, sometimes it’s just easier to park the kids in front of the TV, so that we can get a little time to pay the bills, do the laundry, just get a few hours of peace right? Just a little peace, that's all we want. (Laughter.)
Sometimes it’s just easier to pick up something from the drive-through, pop something in the microwave. And if we’re being honest with ourselves, we have to admit that even when we do cook, we don’t always make the healthiest choices.
And that’s really where this gets personal and emotional -- probably why some people think this is a very complicated issue. You see, for so many of us, food is more than just nourishment for our bodies. It’s how we knit our families and our communities together. It’s how we pass down traditions from generation to generation.
How many of us find ourselves looking forward to that fried chicken and mac and cheese, pound cake, after church on Sunday? (Laughter.) Some people come to church just for the fried chicken. (Laughter.) How many of us have those warm, wonderful memories of family and friends gathering in the kitchen? We still do that at the White House. It's a little, bitty kitchen -- big, old house, everybody sitting in the kitchen. No matter where -- you're sitting in the kitchen. I'm not cooking, but -- (laughter and applause) -- but we still like the kitchen. (Laughter.) Dirtying every pot, cooking everyone’s favorite dishes, talking, laughing, sharing stories late into the night. That's family.
Whether it’s Christmas supper, Passover Seder, Iftar dinner, so many of our most sacred holidays revolve around food. All those familiar smells and tastes, and the memories that go along with them -- all of that brings us joy and comfort. Times may be tough and money may be tight, but at least we can still serve up Uncle Joe’s ribs or Abuela’s Arroz con pollo -- huh? (Applause.) That’s how we show our families that we care about them. Right? No matter what culture we come from, no matter what faith we believe in, for so many of us, food is love. Food is sometimes all we have. And that is a beautiful thing and we don’t ever want to give that up -- right? And fortunately, we don’t have to. Fortunately, we don't have to. We can still show that love, we can still honor those traditions, and we can do it in a way that’s healthy for everyone, especially our kids. But we’re going to have to make some changes, some modifications to adapt these traditions to our way of life today.
And ultimately, that’s what "Let's Move" is really trying to do. We know that government doesn’t have all the answers; know that there’s no one-size-fits all program or policy that will solve this problem. Every family and every community is different. Each of us needs to make the changes that fit with our budgets, our beliefs, and our tastes.
And that’s really where all of you come in. That's why today was such an important part of our celebration. Because that is what our faith communities do best -- you inspire and empower people to make meaningful changes in their lives. Sometimes folks won't do it if it wasn’t said right here -- right? You serve as a beacon for those who are lost, a refuge for those who’ve been forgotten. You’re there for people during some of the most important moments of their lives, offering counsel on family matters, providing comfort in times of crisis, guiding folks on every mile of their journeys. That's why people come.
And our faith communities don’t tend only to folks’ spiritual health but to their emotional and their physical health as well. Think for a moment about the scripture that tells us that your bodies are temples given to you by God. That is a core teaching of so many of our faiths -- a teaching that calls us to honor and nourish the bodies we’ve been blessed with, and to help others do the same.
So it’s no accident that this church hosts classes to help folks lead healthier lives. It’s no accident that, long before we ever started "Let's Move," so many congregations were already sponsoring health ministries and fitness classes, hosting food pantries and summer nutrition programs for our kids.
So as part of "Let's Move," we wanted to work with you from the very beginning. We wanted to learn from our faith communities. And we wanted to do everything we could to support and highlight your magnificent efforts. And that’s why we started a special program called Let’s Move Faith and Communities to challenge more of our organizations and congregations to take up this cause.
And just like everywhere else, the response to this initiative has been overwhelming. All kinds of faith communities have been stepping up. Muslim community leaders are hosting sports tournaments to encourage young people to get active. The Jewish Community Centers Association is working with JCCs around the country to grow gardens, and to get fresh food into underserved areas, and they're create early child wellness programs.
Groups like the National Council of Churches have joined with an organization called Ample Harvest to help gardeners donate fresh produce to 4,700 of their local food pantries. (Applause.) The National Baptist Convention is aiming to have health ambassadors at all of their nearly 10,000 churches by September. (Applause.) And some of their churches have already created “no fry” zones in their congregations. (Applause.) Now, it's been a little tough. (Laughter.) But with just a little effort, the congregations have accepted this. They're also and they’re hosting “Taste Test Sundays” where people can sample healthy food.
Altogether, the members of Let’s Move Faith and Communities have sponsored more than 1,000 summer nutrition sites providing millions of healthy meals for children in need. And these congregations and communities have walked more than 2.8 million miles. That's very impressive. (Applause.) Very impressive.
And let’s not forget that all of this represents the efforts of just a tiny fraction of our faith and community organizations. Just a tiny fraction. That's what they've done in just a short period of time.
So just imagine what we could achieve if every single organization and every single congregation in America got involved in this way. Just imagine. Imagine how many children we could feed. Imagine how many miles we'd walk. Imagine how many lives would be transformed.
So today, I have just one simple request for congregations and organizations across America, and that is: Join us. Join us. Be a part of this effort. Join us. If you’re in a leadership role, make wellness a priority both with words and with deeds. Talk about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity with your members. Get organized. Get organized by creating a wellness council or a ministry, appointing a health ambassador to lead the charge.
There are so many natural leaders in our congregations who are just waiting to be tapped. Maybe there’s a gardener who’s been growing food in her backyard who wants to help the church out. Or maybe there’s a nurse or a dietitian, a community health worker, who’s eager to share their expertise. Maybe there's somebody who's just a great cook -- right -- and knows how to make some good, healthy snacks that taste good, too, right?
And once you’ve gotten organized, I want you to take action. Don’t hold back. On this one, the sky should be the limit. You can host cooking classes or a farmers market. I just tried Zumba, which is like -- that was pretty good. (Applause.) See! We've got a lot of Zumbas. We're Zumbaing after church -- man, look out. (Laughter.)
You can take your youth group on a weekend hike, or better yet, a weekly jog. They will love the time spent with an adult. You can try substituting fresh fruit and vegetables for those donuts and coffee cake after service -- right?
And anyone who is interested for additional ideas, tools, resources, you can go directly to the website at Letsmove.gov. There are so many fun things, ways people are doing -- there are so many creative activities happening in congregations and in communities across the country. And I hope you all will be inspired to do even more.
And whatever you do, I want to know about it. Tell me about it. Whatever you're doing out in your congregations, I want you to email me, I want you to write me. Even better, I want you to send me a video of what you’re doing. Because today, I'm announcing -- listen up -- that "Let's Move" is starting a video contest -- and we’re asking faith and community organizations to show us the best examples of the healthy changes that you’re making. And you know what, the winners -- you know what we're going to do? We're going to invite them to the White House this summer. (Applause.) Come on to the White House! Our top entrees. Because I want to meet you all in person; I want to hear about all that you’re doing. So, hopefully that's a little incentive. Maybe a little fun -- the funnier, the better. You've seen me -- I love fun. (Laughter.)
So I really do hope that all of you, here and congregations and organizations across this country, will embrace these efforts on behalf of our children. Because we all know that we are our children’s first and best role models. No matter what they see or hear, we're it. And if we embrace this work, our kids will embrace it. If we’re excited about it, then they will be excited about it, too.
It won’t be easy. But our faith communities have never shrunk from a challenge right? From slavery to civil rights, from poverty to human rights, so many of our congregations have been a force for justice and equality. (Applause.) Right? So many have been the righteous voice for the least among us, working every day, in ways large and small, to repair our world. And today, once again, we need all of you to help lead the way on this important issue. We need your vision. We need your moral passion. As it says in this church’s vision statement, it says, “A vision is a clear mental picture of a preferable future. It sees the future through the eyes of faith.”
We all know the future we want for our kids. We all know that, right? No matter who those kids are, we know what we want for our kids. We want them, every single one of them -- every single one of them -- to be healthy and whole. We want them to have opportunities that we never dreamed of. We want them to have families of their own that love them. We want them to have communities that support and sustain them. And we want them to have the strength and the energy and the stamina to live their lives to the fullest -- and to raise their own children to do the same. That's how we build community. That's how we do it.
Again, while it won’t be easy to make that vision a reality, I have faith that together, we will get where we need to go. I mean, it’s the same faith that so many of you share -- “the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Applause.) And with that faith, and with that hope, let us join together -- every single one of us -- and work together in this campaign for our children’s lives.
Let’s finish what we started -- this wonderful journey -- and give our kids everything they need for the bright, healthy futures they all deserve.
I look forward to working with you all in the months and years to come. Thank you all and God bless. (Applause.)
The White House has a standing policy of not allowing President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to be used in advertising campaigns by private sector companies, though there have been many attempts to do so. The latest for Mrs. Obama: A post on the Celebrity Diet & Weight Loss Blog features "Michelle Obama's White House Diet Plan." The site is run by weightloss book author Stephen Gullo, and of course the plan is similar to diets included in Gullo's book "The THIN Commandments Diet," sold on the site. (Above: A sample menu from the plan, featured in the post)
Mrs. Obama's dramatic financial boost for the fashion industry has been well documented, and she's also been credited with an uptick in the sales of garden seeds and equipment, thanks to the Kitchen Garden, so it was only a matter of time before America's multi-billion dollar diet industry adopted the Let's Move! campaign. (Above: A screenshot of the post page, featuring a photo of the First Lady)
