First lady Michelle Obama exercises with children from Chicago Public Schools, in her hometown of Chicago, as she makes a major announcement helping to bring back physical activity to area schools, while celebrating the third anniversary of her ‘Lets Move’ program. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Introductory Essay by Betsy L. Angert | Originally Published at EmpathyEducates. May 28, 2014

Dear Michelle Obama…

I write to thank you for defending our children. Speaking out against endemic invectives that presuppose we are fools. Is it possible that the new school lunch program comes with “declining participation, rising food costs, and a lack of flexibility?” Does it matter in respect to food? What parent would say to a child, “If you don’t come to the table, starve.” “Food is too expensive to eat.” Satisfy your insatiable desire for sweets; don’t worry about your teeth?” No parent I know would intentionally ignore nutrition. Yet, here we are; until you released your strong statement, we did not take the initiative. Mrs. Obama I say with you, “Let’s Move.”

Let us question the erroneous notion that with fruits and vegetable on the menu students suffer, that there is “No Appetite for Good-for-You School Lunches.”

Let us consider the convention, “only parents can help their children.” At times, as you observe, there are mitigating circumstances. Access to healthy food may be limited. Money might be tight. And even if a Mom or Dad has means, frequently neither has the knowledge. We often go to extremes. Eat all you want and/or clean your plate. These seem to be our dietary “restrictions.” We say “balance is best,” but what do we do?” Indulge in what we ingest.

A pinch of sugar. A smatter of fat. Pass the salt and prepare our children for an onslaught of foods .that tempt us into thinking that we have made healthy choices. What if You Ate Only What Was Advertised on TV? Oh, people might say, “That is not me.” Few of us imagine that we might be so easily influenced. But are we?

Does the wafting smell of bread baking get your attention? Can you taste the coffee as it brews? Then there is the sizzle of bacon, and if you really need a boost…Did I tell you that for decades, I did what people do. Just as my friends, family and familiars, I drank soda by the cases. I ate pounds of cookies, mounds of cake, and sweets too. My body ballooned. I did other than Move.

My unhealthy body distressed my parents. Each assumed they knew it was their fault that I “grew.” Had they been better parents….had they modeled better habits…had they not believed the hype. “Eat more grains.” “Drink more milk.” Cakes and cookies are good for you. You too may have heard, Cake for breakfast? Study says go for it ! or “these cookies’ are almost too healthy to be called a cookie.” Oh, what we wish to believe.

My parents blamed themselves for my unhealthy eating habits. If only they knew that the processed food industry promotes chemical consumption as good science, and when I was younger few understood. Even today we trust that what we ingest is healthy. If only we knew. Indeed, it would seem that there are Six chemicals we consume in our food and drink that should be banned. We can beware, or just stare into the abyss and say there is nothing we can do. Ah, but there is. And again Michelle Obama, I thank you. May we each stand strong and move.

The Campaign for Junk Food
Michelle Obama on Attempts to Roll Back Healthy Reforms

By Michelle Obama | Originally Published at The New York Times. May 28, 2014

WHEN we began our Let’s Move! initiative four years ago, we set one simple but ambitious goal: to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation so that kids born today will grow up healthy.

To achieve this goal, we have adhered to one clear standard: what works. The initiatives we undertake are evidence-based, and we rely on the most current science. Research indicated that kids needed less sugar, salt and fat in their diets, so we revamped school lunch menus accordingly. When data showed that the lack of nearby grocery stores negatively affected people’s eating habits, we worked to get more fresh-food retailers into underserved areas. Studies on habit formation in young children drove our efforts to get healthier food and more physical activity into child care centers.

Today, we are seeing glimmers of progress. Tens of millions of kids are getting better nutrition in school; families are thinking more carefully about food they eat, cook and buy; companies are rushing to create healthier products to meet the growing demand; and the obesity rate is finally beginning to fall from its peak among our youngest children.

So we know that when we rely on sound science, we can actually begin to turn the tide on childhood obesity.

But unfortunately, we’re now seeing attempts in Congress to undo so much of what we’ve accomplished on behalf of our children. Take, for example, what’s going on now with the Women, Infants and Children program, known as WIC. This is a federal program designed to provide supplemental nutrition to low-income women and their babies and toddlers. The idea is to fill in the gaps in their diets — to help them buy items like fresh produce that they can’t afford on their own — and give them the nutrition they’re missing.

Right now, the House of Representatives is considering a bill to override science by mandating that white potatoes be included on the list of foods that women can purchase using WIC dollars. Now, there is nothing wrong with potatoes. The problem is that many women and children already consume enough potatoes and not enough of the nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables they need. That’s why the Institute of Medicine — the nonpartisan, scientific body that advises on the standards for WIC — has said that potatoes should not be part of the WIC program.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated occurrence. We’re seeing the same kind of scenario unfold with our school lunch program. Back in 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which set higher nutritional standards for school lunches, also based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. Today, 90 percent of schools report that they are meeting these new standards. As a result, kids are now getting more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods they need to be healthy.

This is a big win for parents who are working hard to serve their kids balanced meals at home and don’t want their efforts undermined during the day at school. And it’s a big win for all of us since we spend more than $10 billion a year on school lunches and should not be spending those hard-earned taxpayer dollars on junk food for our children.

Yet some members of the House of Representatives are now threatening to roll back these new standards and lower the quality of food our kids get in school. They want to make it optional, not mandatory, for schools to serve fruits and vegetables to our kids. They also want to allow more sodium and fewer whole grains than recommended into school lunches. These issues will be considered when the House Appropriations Committee takes up the annual spending bill for the Agriculture Department on Thursday.

Remember a few years ago when Congress declared that the sauce on a slice of pizza should count as a vegetable in school lunches? You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that this doesn’t make much sense. Yet we’re seeing the same thing happening again with these new efforts to lower nutrition standards in our schools.

Our children deserve so much better than this. Even with the progress we have made, one in three children in this country is still overweight or obese. One in three is expected to develop diabetes in his or her lifetime. And this isn’t just about our children’s health; it’s about the health of our economy as well. We already spend an estimated $190 billion a year treating obesity-related conditions. Just think about what those numbers will look like in a decade or two if we don’t start solving this problem now.

The bottom line is very simple: As parents, we always put our children’s interests first. We wake up every morning and go to bed every night worrying about their well-being and their futures. And when we make decisions about our kids’ health, we rely on doctors and experts who can give us accurate information based on sound science. Our leaders in Washington should do the same.

Michelle Obama is the first lady of the United States.

A version of this op-ed appears in print on May 29, 2014, on page A35 of the New York edition with the headline: The Campaign for Junk Food.

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