Posted by Kori Schulman, The White House on April 8, 2010
Student reporters and young people from schools across the country joined First Lady Michelle Obama in the State Dining Room of the White House for a Let's Move! Town Hall hosted by C-SPAN's Susan Swain. Let's Move! is an initiative started by the First Lady to help raise a healthier generation of kids and solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.
As you know, on February 9th the President created a new interagency Childhood Obesity Task Force. The task force is working right now on an action plan for solving the problem of childhood obesity in a generation. (You can see the full Presidential Memorandum creating the Task Force and requesting the action plan within 90 days here.)
Posted by Jessica Santillo, Communications Director for Strategy and Policy, Department of Health and Human Services on April 7, 2010
Secretary Sebelius got moving with students at Wellington Elementary in Louisville, Kentucky last Friday, April 2, to see the school's health and fitness accelerated learning program in action.
Posted by Sam Kass, Assistant White House Chef, Food Initiative Coordinator on April 2, 2010
On a gorgeous Spring day on the South Lawn of the White House, 45 students from Bancroft Elementary and Hollin Meadows Academy joined the First Lady for the annual Spring planting of the White House Kitchen Garden.
Posted by Dr. Judith S. Palfrey, FAAP, Prsident, American Academy of Pediatrics on March 30, 2010
As a pediatrician, my number one goal is to keep children healthy. Yet, over the 30 years I've been in practice, there has been a distressing increase in the number of children and adolescents who are overweight and obese. Today, most physicians are dealing with overweight and obesity in about 30 percent of the children we treat. These staggering numbers have alarmed the pediatric community, and they should spur us as a nation into action.
Posted by Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy on March 25, 2010
Since last Tuesday, we’ve received over 800 comments giving us feedback on how the Childhood Obesity Task Force should write its action plan to end the problem of childhood obesity in this country in a generation. Keep them coming! The deadline for submitting comments is this Friday, March 26.
Posted by Todd May, Deputy Director of Special Events for the Department of Education on March 24, 2010
"Who wants to go to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House?" drew scores of raised hands, cheers and applause from 2nd grade students who joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and State Superintendent of Education Kerri Briggs at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in D.C. earlier today.
Posted by Alexandra Traber, Office of The First Lady on March 17, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama has been reaching out to everyone about moving forward together to give all our children the healthy start to life that they deserve!
Posted by Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy on March 16, 2010
The First Lady has set an ambitious goal for all of us - to solve the challenge of childhood obesity in this Nation within a generation. We've got a lot of work to do!Â
Posted by Peter Axelson and Manny Guerra on March 12, 2010
Today, the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games open in Vancouver and celebrate spirit in motion. Athletes with disabilities from around the world will meet to compete, inspiring and exciting the world with their performances always moving forward and never giving up. These athletes remind us that when we work hard, we can achieve our dreams. We can all be sports champions.
Posted by Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 11, 2010
The epidemics of obesity and tobacco use are national problems: two-thirds of adults and 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese, and each day 4,000 kids try their first cigarette.
Cross-posted from USDA.
Yesterday was a very exciting day here at USDA as we joined First Lady Michelle Obama in announcing our Apps for Healthy Kids competition! Apps for Healthy Kids is part of the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity.
Posted by Kimberly Teehee, Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs, White House Domestic Policy Council on March 9, 2010
In his address on the State of the Union, President Obama announced that First Lady Michelle Obama would be taking the lead in the Administration's efforts "to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity." Two weeks later, on February 9, the First Lady unveiled a nationwide campaign - Let's Move! - to fight the epidemic and improve the health of children. An integral part of the First Lady's campaign will be to work with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, where childhood obesity rates are particularly high.
