| In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama joined | | | | so it's important that those calories are packed with |
| with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to | | | | nutritional value. If unhealthy choices are unavailable, |
| launch the Let's Move campaign against childhood | | | | children will develop a palate for healthy foods such as |
| obesity. The unhealthy choices kids make today can | | | | fresh fruit and vegetables. |
| bring consequences the rest of their lives. And those | | | | This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will work |
| lives may not be as long as their parents'. For the first | | | | with schools and with partners in the private sector to |
| time in history, the United States faces the very real | | | | double the number of schools that meet the Healthier |
| possibility of a decrease in life expectancy. | | | | U.S. Schools Challenge. Major school food suppliers are |
| The government is getting involved because the | | | | reworking their menus to decrease fat, salt, and sugar |
| obesity epidemic in children will lead to even more | | | | in their foods, and to increase the amount of fruit, |
| obesity in adults, which will further lead to a greatly | | | | vegetables, and whole grains they serve. |
| increased toll on our public sector. If the obesity trend is | | | | More Active Children |
| not reversed, more people will develop diabetes, more | | | | Parents and children can have fun together earning the |
| people will suffer from debilitating joint pain, more | | | | President's Active Lifestyle Challenge award. For six |
| people will have strokes, and more people will become | | | | weeks, adults must document at least 30 minutes of |
| unable to work and have to rely upon public | | | | activity per day, six days a week, and children must |
| assistance. | | | | document at least 60 minutes per day, six days a |
| Let's Move has four components: | | | | week. |
| | | | It is hoped that by the end of the challenge, this level of |
| 1. Educate and support parents | | | | activity will become a habit, and will be maintained after |
| 2. Provide healthier food in schools | | | | the award is earned. Once a person earns the |
| 3. Help children be more active | | | | President's Active Lifestyle Challenge award, he or she |
| 4. Ensure that healthy, affordable food is available | | | | can work toward becoming a President's Champion. |
| everywhere in the country | | | | Mrs. Obama has also called upon the help of |
| Better Educated Parents | | | | professional sports organizations such as the National |
| The parent education component is key, particularly | | | | Football League to help in this effort. The NFL and |
| when children are young. Children don't often choose | | | | other pro sports organizations will help motivate and |
| what they are going to eat. Parents choose, and | | | | inspire kids to become more active by showing how |
| parents also choose how the children will spend their | | | | fun it can be. |
| free time, too. When parents understand the | | | | Available, Healthy Food Nationwide |
| consequences of their choices, they will make better | | | | Some of the poorest people in this country are also |
| decisions on behalf of the children they love. | | | | the most prone to obesity because poverty-stricken |
| As part of the parent education component of the | | | | people are more likely to live in areas where fresh, |
| Let's Move program, the AAP recommends that | | | | healthy food choices are either not available or are |
| pediatricians measure their patients' body-mass index | | | | prohibitively expensive. These low-income areas, both |
| (BMI) at every well child check-up beginning at age 2, | | | | urban and rural, are more than a mile from the nearest |
| and then discuss the results with parents. When | | | | supermarket, and the people who live here often do |
| necessary, the pediatrician should write a prescription | | | | not have reliable transportation. In conjunction with the |
| for healthy living, with recommendations on food | | | | Let's Move campaign, the government plans to provide |
| choices and how to encourage the children to be | | | | financing to bring supermarkets and grants to bring |
| more active. | | | | farmers markets into the food deserts. |
| Healthier School Lunches | | | | For more information about this exciting new campaign |
| Many children eat half of their daily calories at school, | | | | in the war against childhood obesity, visit letsmove.gov. |