First Lady Links Childhood Obesity to National Security in Launch of ‘Let’s Move’ Campaign

CNS News ^ | 02/09/2010 | Penny Starr

[Freedom56v2]

At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States, an epidemic she said is costly and a threat to national security.

“A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year,” Mrs. Obama said. “This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.”

The ceremony, attended by many officials of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, followed the signing earlier in the day of a presidential memorandum establishing a task force to study the problem and make recommendations after 90 days.

Obama announced a long list of goals she said she hopes the “Let’s Move” campaign will accomplish, including many that can be done “in a generation.”

“This isn’t like a disease where we’re still waiting for a cure to be discovered – we know the cure for this,” Obama said. “This isn’t like putting a man on the moon or inventing the Internet. It doesn’t take some stroke of genius or feat of technology.

[Freedom56v2]

“This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.” ------------------------------------------- This aspect of her initiative gave me pause.

Tho I am all for encouraging a healthy diet, I wonder if in addition to more control over our lives thru laws affecting our children, the administration is looking to improve the quality and quantity of worker bees for the administration's national service agenda?

Am I being too cynical? Thots?

[WOBBLY BOB]

I guess we can conclude the Demonrats are planning a draft?

[Question Liberal Authority]

I agree with Michelle Obama 100%. She should move.

[Persevero]

I can’t stand being lectured about weight by a fat person.

It would be hard to take from a skinny person, too, given genetics and whether they smoke and whether they can afford a gym, personal trainer, etc.

But from someone with a larger derriere than me it is ridiculous.

[Perdogg]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2448365/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2448368/posts

[Persevero]

As to the thoughts about military service, I guess it’s all going to be slender gay men, and muscular lesbians?

[taraytarah]

Dang. I was hoping the “Let’s Move” Campaign involved her and Barry and Indonesia.

[Doogle]

"she musta hit herself in the head with a hoe"

[Jeff Chandler]

This article is brought to you by IN-N-OUT Burger.

[laweeks]

Oh, she of the rather wide beam and thick, chunky legs and calves is going to tell us how to raise our children. The hypocrisy is mind blowing. Incredible!

[denydenydeny]

Liberals love to call every one of their pet issues (global warming, AIDS, obesity) a “national security issue.” Actual national security issues need not apply.

[FreedBird]

First we have to listen to Professor Obama lecture us everyday. Many of us would drop his class. Now, Professor Mrs. Obama is lecturing us . She would probably flunk many of us.

[Question Liberal Authority]

If they were serious about this, they would scrap the government control of doctors and open a bunch of government-run gyms. Maybe give people a 1% discount on their taxes for every 100 miles they run on a government treadmill.

As for 'we know what the answer is', maybe you do and maybe you don't. Years ago, you would have been told that eggs were bad for you and trans-fat was good for you. You would have been told that the key to losing weight was to eat lots of carbohydrates and artificial sweeteners. You would have been told that farm raised salmon was the safe and healthy alternative to wild salmon. You would have been told that genetically modified canola oil was far healthier for you than organic coconut oil.

As for this specific program, you've got the government railing on the harmful effect of fast food, begging parents to let their kids eat healthy school cafeteria food. At the school cafeteria, they are served the exact same stuff that they're supposed to avoid at the fast food restaurant - chicken nuggets, hamburgers, corn dogs, deep fried french toast sticks with heavy syrup, etc.

[francky]

No exercise and too many calories

Too many hamburgers, too may cokes, too much cake and too much candy, too many video games and too much TV equals overweight kids. Get outside and get some exercise.

[ladyjane]

No exercise and too many calories

Portion size and exercise!

[NEMDF]

I think you are reading too much into it. I see this her linking it to national security as a way to justify throwing lots of our money at “solving” childhood obesity. Scare tactics.

[jiminycricket000]

My thoughts on the Obama family control issues are: (1). These two people are like children in a candy store with their newfound power. They are enamored of themselves and the "candy" all around them. But their 'candy' is power. If Mrs. Obama really wants to help fat people she should lose more weight herself, she looks like a female moose. Why doesn't she just become slim and trim, and be a power of example through her own personal life, rather than an overweight, power mad, big mamma lookin' to keep everyone else's kids thin?

(2). One more thing, the Obamas know that government control of what fat kids eat and how they live will eventually spill over into controlling fat adults as well, and every other adult that they deem has a 'health issue' that needs to be treated by gub'mit. Control, control, control. Americans elected these arrogant, insulting people, the liberals all; now it's our job to get them unelected in every single election between now and Obama's last day in Office.

In fact, if the conservative movement continues to swell it will soon be a tidal wave, a tidal wave that just may sweep over D.C. and wash away the stench of liberalism, socialism and their Big Brother in hiding, Communism.

[browardchad]

I agree with Michelle Obama 100%. She should move.

LOL!

[Integrityrocks]

Let’s move?

Why? If I sit on my A___ your husband will exempt me from taxes, exempt me from paying for health care which means obesity is the government’s problem not mine, keep giving me welfare and food stamps of which I get to spend on more fattening food, provide me with free housing, and even provide me with lots of X-rated & liberal TV to watch while censoring anything that would make me use my brain.

Let’s move? I don’t think so.

[IMR 4350]

Sounds like an excuse to create a Youth Corps.