“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.
