5 Changes Made by Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign
By: Grace Geiger
Published: February 12, 2011

Wednesday, February 9th marked the one-year anniversary of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, a movement to combat childhood obesity through exercise and better diet within schools and homes. In the last three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled and the results have had an alarming effect on the health of America’s youth.
Michelle Obama has been making headlines after her recent partnership with commercial super store Walmart in an effort to make sure the company is providing a larger selection of affordable produce and healthy choices for their customers. While some may dispute the effectiveness of this strategy, there is no doubt that Michelle Obama is committed to the cause and helping to implement big changes in an effort to ensure a healthier America.
Now that a year has gone by under the Let’s Move! campaign, we can a look back and reflect on some of the progress that's been made with the help of our First Lady. Here is a list of five noteworthy Let's Move! changes made in the last year:
1. The Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, the Food, Family and Farming Foundation and the United Fresh Produce Association have committed over the next three years to put 6,000 salad bars in schools across the country
2. Nearly 2,000 chefs have volunteered to help schools in their community become healthier through the Chefs Move to Schools program
3. All-Clad has donated 1,000 cooking demonstration kits for chefs who are participating in Chefs Move to Schools.
4. Let’s Move! is working to build or  adopt playgrounds so kids have safe places to play and be active.  Communities are also being encouraged to join Safe Routes to School so more kids can bike and walk to school.
5. Nearly 500 communities across America have signed up for Let’s Move Cities and Towns.  Through this program, local leaders are committed to bringing  Let’s Move! to their community.
(Click here for official press release)
Yee-haw! It's good to see some positive change. When we see action happening in our local community, it motivates us to go out and be part of something great. Addressing the problem of youth obesity in this country is not just something we should do, it's something we must do if we want our children to live long, productive lives. Inspired by all this progress with our nation's eating habits, especially in schools and local communities, here's a quick and easy salad recipe to make healthy strides in your own home!
Healthy Salmon Caesar Salad Recipe
Photos by Flickr user USDAgov and jramspott

Comments:
Angela@spinachtiger

Those might be good changes if we were trying to change a city, but, unfortunately, it doesn't do much for a nation this size. You can't do anything for the children until the mentality of the parents is changed. I met my friends extended family over the holidays. All the parents are obese and they have obese children. They make the choices for these kids who cannot make appropriate decisions yet. 12 year old who is over 200 pounds orders the chicken fingers off kid's menu and mom thinks that's cute. Kids refuse to eat anything healthy, but then I watched and the parents were the same. Not to put Mrs. Obama down, but it's a deep rooted problem that will not be solved with the above initiatives. A child's brain is not wired to make good food choices. The brain is not even fully developed to delay gratification until about 18 years old. Food choices have to be made for children by their parents and it has to begin with the parents and their own eating habits. If this is not addressed, four years from now, we will see the obesity continue to climb. That is sad to me.
Brandie

You are absolutely correct in that the parent has to be responsible for their children's eating habits. A child is not able to learn what is best unless they are "shown" the proper way by a good role model. Unfortunately, this is an adult epidemic that is unlikely to change any time soon. However, Michelle Obama's campaign can ensure that our children eat at least one healthy meal a day while in school. Hopefully, some children will take that idea home with them. This campaign is in no way a solution to the nation's obesity, but I have to give kudos to Michelle Obama for bringing to light what so many are trying to ignore.