Michelle Obama: "Let's Move" on Childhood Obesity

The First Lady today announced her long-awaited initiative aimed at fighting childhood obesity, a program called Let's Move. The effort's goal is "to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation." That's a tall order, considering almost 20 percent of our children are now obese.

But if anyone can tackle a challenge of that magnitude, it's Michelle Obama, who has already made a name for herself as a champion of healthy eating and whole foods. She has been vocal in promoting children's nutrition and discussing her efforts to get kids involved in the White House garden.

The new initiative focuses on providing easier-to-understand nutritional information, promoting increased physical activity, ensuring access to healthy food and encouraging personal responsibility around eating and health, according to the Washington Post.

Mrs. Obama has handled preparations for the launch of Let's Move with the same assertive optimism she seems to bring to all she does. She met with lawmakers, such as our own Changemaker Congressman George Millier, over the last week to set the stage for successful collaboration on this issue.

And already this morning substantive progress was underway, when President Obama signed a formal memorandum establishing a first-ever national task force on the issue, which will include representatives from the departments of the Interior, Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Education. Its mission? As the Post put it, to turn "the first lady's ambitious list of proposals into action."

Action seems to be the order of the day. "Instead of just talking about this problem, instead of just worrying and wringing our hands about it, let’s do something about it," Mrs. Obama said today in announcing the program in the White House's State Dining Room. "Let’s act … let’s move."

Photo: The U.S. Army