“Let’s Move”. Ridiculous name, cool new initiative out of the Obama administration.
Called The Let’s Move campaign, the program focuses on what families, communities and the public and private sectors can do to help fight childhood obesity, which she and health experts have termed an epidemic in the United States. The campaign aims to take steps to reduce childhood obesity within a generation.
As I wrote yesterday, I’m delighted that the growing obesity epidemic is a primary focus for the White House. I liked the details announced today regarding improved packaging information to help parents offer better nutrition to their kids at home. Also, I have to ask myself why kids weren’t being given fruits and vegetables in school cafeteria lunches before now?
I am, however, a little concerned that the Let’s Move campaign details announced today focused primarily on nutrition.
What we need, also, is a commitment to provide state funding to help public schools support physical education classes. No Child Left Behind essentially signed a death warrant for all extracurricular classes. A friend of mine volunteers his time to teach kids physical education during recess because gym classes were axed to ensure schools could meet No Child Left Behind standards and avoid funding cuts.
And there’s talk in Southern Arizona of eliminating recess as well.
We can’t just fight childhood obesity by helping kids cut calories; let’s get them outside and… well… moving.
Obesity is a growing health problem these days because people are too lazy to do some extra exercise and they eat too much. i always exercise and do cardio regularly to maintain a healthy weight.
Is it true that an apple a day keeps the Doctor away? What about 3?
I absolutely agree. Funding for after-school activities, particularly in low-income communities, is scarce, and there is a HUGE need for kids to have a safe space to run around and learn the benefits of physical fitness!
The most effective thing PARENTS can do is sell the television and x box, and buy a soccerball/football/kickball/swimming lessons/running shoes/weights/ball and bat.
Get the kids out of the house and to the playground…put them in piano lessons, karate lessons, golf lessons…whatever…and get them active.
Pack the kids lunch sans chips and oreos, stick in a apple/pear/grapes/orange…fruit and a salad.
Change starts at home…no government program is going to fix it. Michelle obama, herself a avowed race baiter, would be better off addressing roots of this issue. It isn’t school lunches…it is parents.