On Tuesday, February 9, First Lady Michelle Obama announced
a new initiative called "Let's Move." focused on combating the
epidemic of childhood obesity through health and fitness initiatives across the
nation.
The First Lady hopes the Let's Move campaign will get kids
up from the couch and get moving. As motivation, children who are active 60
minutes per day, five days a week for six weeks, will win a Presidential Active
Lifestyle Award. She is also working to improve school lunches, as well as
increase availability of healthy food choices to the millions of families who
must rely on convenience stores to do their grocery shopping.
According to current statistics, in the last 30 years, rates
of obesity among children in America have tripled and almost one in three
children are overweight or obese. Even more shocking, one-third of all children
born in the year 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their
lives while others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart
disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. Studies have estimated the
health care costs of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion per year. This epidemic also impacts the nation’s
security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military
service.
“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation
and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake,” said Mrs.
Obama. “This isn’t the kind of
problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it
can be solved. So, let’s
move."
For more information on "Let's Move," visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/first-lady-michelle-obama-launches-lets-move-americas-move-raise-a-healthier-genera