Let's Move Cities and Towns
Communities on the Move Video Challenge Winners Announced
The winners of the Communities on the Move Video Challenge have been chosen! Since First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Video Challenge in February, Let’s Move Faith and Communities has been inspired by every congregation and community that submitted a video highlighting how they are promoting healthy lifestyles for kids. From putting on nutrition-themed puppet shows in Connecticut to advocating for safer play spaces in Colorado and preaching healthy living from the pulpit in Florida, the ideas in these videos demonstrate the commitment that communities across the country have to reversing the trend of childhood obesity within a generation.
Let’s Move! to the Move It Movement Tour
Looking for ways to get your family moving? On June 10, Cartoon Network launched their national Move it Movement Tour, offering kids and families across the country an opportunity to try new activities and sports. Now in its third year, the Move it Movement Tour hosts expos in 17 locations where several national organizations introduce families to strategies for fighting childhood obesity through free, kid-focused physical activity and healthy eating.
The tour kicked off in Atlanta, GA and will wrap up in Houston, TX on August 12th. At each of the tour stops, kids and families will experience a range of sports and games – from basketball and soccer, to football and golf – that will help them get the 60 minutes of daily activity they need to stay healthy
Soccer Steps Up: Let's Move! Hosts LA Galaxy and Young Soccer Fans
Yesterday, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed MLS Cup Champions the LA Galaxy to the White House. President Obama honored the teams 2011 season and their MLS Cup victory and the First Lady hosted a question and answer session where the players discussed getting active, eating right and keeping healthy with an audience of young, talented soccer fans from around the country.
Get Moving for National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Ed. Note: This was cross-posted from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition blog.
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is the perfect time for children and families to get outside and play together! You don’t have to do back flips in the Olympics or throw a football 40 yards down the field to be active and break a sweat. Whether you ride your bike to work or school or chase after your dog in the park, physical activity can be fun and it helps you feel good too.
Celebrate Healthy Kids Day with the Y!
With summer right around the corner, this is a perfect time to get moving! For most kids, the end of the school year means more free time for adventures, outdoor activities, and fun with friends. At the same time, we know that a few months of inactivity can lead to critical gaps in health and education that put kids at risk for childhood obesity and learning loss. For parents, keeping their kids healthy and active during the summer requires planning and preparation.
Students in Indian Country Love Fruits and Vegetables from Salad Bars
A’ni (strawberry), adalonige gado galadisgi (carrot), gagama gagvmi (cucumber), gvgisdi (watermelon), and svkta (apple) -- Cherokee words for some of the favorite salad bar items for kids in Sequoyah Schools in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Angelia Dowty is the food service director for Sequoyah Schools, which includes an elementary Cherokee language immersion school and a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) high school. These schools provide food to more than 500 Native American students and staff. Angelia serves all of these kids a variety of fruits and vegetables from salad bars every day. Angelia said, “When I took over the food service program 3 years ago, there were some sweet treats on the salad bars, like puddings. I took all of those out and now only serve fruits and vegetables on my bars.”
You Can Get Moving with the Biggest Loser
Tonight, First Lady Michelle Obama issued a challenge to contestants on the Biggest Loser – and they need your help.
Throughout the season, contestants have worked hard to make lifestyle changes to improve their health and enhance their lives. Continuing these changes beyond the show and inspiring others to embark on the same live-saving journey is the next challenge for the remaining six contestants.
Let's Celebrate: February Let's Move! Highlights
In February we celebrated the second anniversary of Let’s Move!, and First Lady Michelle Obama took to the road, touring the country and highlighting the achievements of Let’s Move! programs in communities just like yours.
To date, the initiative has touched families, schools and organizations across the country and inspired local changes to improve the health, life and happiness of children and youth. We put together a collection of some of our favorite moments from the trip:
Champions of Change Get Their Communities Moving
Today, the White House honored twelve Americans who are who are living the goals of Let’s Move! everyday as Champions of Change. Each of the invitees is an example of what First Lady Michelle Obama called the founding purpose of Let’s Move! – community leaders, teachers and health professsionals who have found creative ways to keep our children active and healthy and get their communities moving!
During the event, the Champions each talked about the program they developed or introduced to their community and together they spoke about how small changes can yield tremendous wins in the lives of their students, area children and families.
Making Locally Grown and Healthy Food Available
Three years ago, I was asked to participate in the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, out of which grew the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative. In May 2010, we submitted a report to the President that made a series of recommendations for addressing the challenges of obesity and hunger, both of which stem from a lack of access to good, healthy food. The report identified local food systems as a strategy to combat food access problems, and specifically called upon the USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative to provide technical and financial assistance to help communities grow and process their own food, and create jobs at the same time.
I’m pleased to report that we’ve made a lot of progress since 2009 – and we have two new tools to help communities learn about what we’ve done and tap into USDA resources to develop their own solutions. The new Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass is a document packed with photos, video and case studies of communities building strong local food systems. Farmers’ markets, mobile produce vendors, farm to school initiatives, and food hubs are just a few of many examples highlighted by the Compass. The Healthy Food Access section shows how communities are using USDA resources to promote health and the local economy.
