A Cup of Green

In the Spotlight: First Lady Michelle Obama

June
Putting food and families first

by Danielle Renee Lee

Michelle Obama is one of our favorite public figures. On the official White House website, the first paragraph in the section for Michelle Obama says “When people ask First Lady Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn’t hesitate to say that first and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha’s mom.” No matter what your political preferences are, it’s tough not to like Michelle Obama. A smart, good-looking woman who has achieved much professionally on her own and has taken to the role of First Lady with class and ingenuity.

She is also a woman who obviously takes good care of herself physically and is preaching what she practices by helping our nation’s children. Let’s Move, an initiative aimed at eliminating childhood obesity, was launched by the First Lady in February 2010. Strategies that aim at empowering parents, improving access to healthy, affordable foods and increasing physical activities are the stepping-stones to a future of healthy citizens and a once-again prosperous nation.

The revamping of the food pyramid is another piece of this health puzzle that the First Lady has worked on. MyPlate.gov was unveiled earlier this month, with the efforts of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. We now have a plate to use as a reference for our food proportions. “When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we’re already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it’s tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates”, the First Lady commented at the launch.

Since the aim of Michelle Obama’s initiative is foremost the health of children, what better way to hit home than to partner up with Disney. The Magic of Healthy Living launched in the fall of 2010 and features the First Lady in a number of PSA’s along with a number of young Disney stars. Some of the ads focus on food portion awareness, cooking with your family, and fun physical activities with friends.

 

First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts may be the most realistic healthcare reform that is out there. This information needs to be more mainstream and these are the conversations that should be had amongst families, friends, and public officials. Healthcare starts before insurance, before visiting the doctors and before popping medicine. Its all about better lifestyles, shared knowledge and physical activities. We applaud Michelle Obama and her righteous efforts with family health.

“We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture – imagine this – where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them.” -Michelle Obama

YES WE CAN ;)

For more information on First Lady Michelle Obama and the programs she promotes please check out the sites below.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/first-lady-michelle-obama

http://www.letsmove.gov/

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html

http://disney.go.com/magic-of-healthy-living/ncds/