The Let’s Move Plan

In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched an ambitious program to end childhood obesity in one generation. This effort – the Let’s Move campaign – calls on every sector of society and every individual citizen to take action so that today’s children will grow up into healthy adults. By educating about health and nutrition, encouraging healthy eating for everyone, and getting people active, this campaign is comprehensive enough that it may just reach its goal.

Educating About Health and Child Nutrition

Although thousands of books, mountains of research, and seemingly every magazine and website have something to say about what constitutes healthy food and lifestyles, many Americans are still confused about what is truly beneficial. Ms. Obama’s campaign aims to deliver clear, consistent information on these topics and truly educate the public (especially children) in order to eliminate the ignorance that is leading to obesity and its contingent health risks.

A multi-faceted approach to spreading the word about healthy eating ensures everyone will hear. Whether its chefs in the schools, multimedia blitzes, regional Let’s Move Meet-ups, or simple word of mouth, impressing people’s responsibility to pass relevant information to the next generation will help stem the tide of rampant overeating and under-nourishing. Government agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all offer information and programs to make Americans healthier, and the Let’s Move campaign encourages health care providers, schools, communities, and parents to get involved as well.

Some initiatives to increase exposure to nutritional information include the FDA’s new labeling-in-the-front idea which encourages food distributors to put as much health information as possible on the front of the product’s package, bringing consumers’ attention to the nutritional value of what they are buying. Not everything that looks healthy is, and without clear labeling, people can be deceived. The pressure is now turning towards food providers to make foods that actually are healthy, not just ones that are marketed to be.

Encouraging Healthy Eating

Of course, just having access to information and healthier options doesn’t mean people will make the right choices regarding their health. Eating nutritious food means making good choices consistently. Most Americans eat a large percentage of food outside the home, so buying good food at the grocery store is not enough. School children often eat up to half of their calories at school, and eating out is no longer the luxury it once was. Therefore, the Let’s Move campaign encourages people to eat healthy no matter where they find themselves eating.

Revolutionizing school hot lunch menus and snack offerings is a large part of what Let’s Move aims to accomplish. Cheap, preservative-laden, nutritionally-poor food can no longer be excused simply because school budgets are tight. New measures are being executed to get junk food out of schools – chefs adopting school menus, local farm produce being exchanged for patronage, healthy snacks in school vending machines and all of these not only make kids healthier now, but teach them how to be healthier outside of school. Especially for low-income students, healthy food on the menu is a must since higher-quality, higher-priced food may not be available at home.

Making healthier options available at home is also part of the goal. For instance, Let’s Move is teaming up with pediatricians to make them partners in each child’s health from birth through childhood. Along with monitoring childhood BMI, pediatricians are writing prescriptions to outline the kinds of foods and activities children need to stay healthy. With front-of-food labeling and expert advice, buying nutritious groceries should become easier.

Restaurants, however, are notoriously difficult places to eat right. With portion sizes out of controls and hidden calories in the unidentified sauces and sides, what may seem like a tolerable meal can pack an unexpected caloric punch. This, too, is changing, and for the better. Media attention such as the 2004 Super Size Me documentary and the popular book series Eat This, Not That have brought consumer awareness to the dangers of eating out, consequently putting pressure on restaurants to offer healthier alternatives and making nutritional information accessible to customers. This trend will help ensure that healthy options are available, making it easy for well-informed customers to find those options and choose them, both for themselves and for their children.

Getting People Active

As the name would suggest, Let’s Move is not just a campaign about eating; it also seeks to get sedentary children moving. Calorie counting always goes easier if calorie burning is part of the daily routine. Once again, everyone in a child’s life has a responsibility to model active lifestyles. Parents can lead their families by being active themselves, including kids in active engagements, promoting playing outside or participating in sports, and putting limits on “screen” time in the house. Schools can preserve and promote exercise by encouraging movement-based learning in the classroom, making time for physical education classes and recess, and providing extra-curricular activities to as many students as possible. On a community level, too, exercise can become a part of the culture if leaders unite to plan opportunities like parks, bike paths, and youth centers.

Conclusion

The national Let’s Move campaign has an action plan for every sector of society in regards to healthy eating and active living. From food producers to school cafeterias to playgrounds, Let’s Move takes on the childhood obesity epidemic currently sweeping America and aims to end it in one generation. Sitting around has gotten us nowhere, so the call is clear: It’s time for action. Let’s move!

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