First Lady unveils blueprint for war on obesity - Feedstuffs

First Lady unveils blueprint for war on obesity - Feedstuffs

(1/28/2010)
Sally Schuff

First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a new report on childhood obesity on Jan. 28 and said her new campaign to promote fitness for the nation's children “will not be easy, and it won't happen overnight."

She made the remark during a ceremony held at a Virginia YMCA to highlight the release of “The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation.” The report, the first for Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, M.D., reports on the “alarming trend of overweight and obese Americans,” and includes several fitness recommendations families, schools, child care, and health care professionals. While not mentioning the stalled health care debate, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius noted during the event "the unhealthier we are as a nation, the more our health care costs will continue to rise." Quoting statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, Sebelius said the U.S. spends one dollar out of every ten health care dollars on obesity and its complications, which is almost twice that spent in 1988. The $150 billion spent on obesity related conditions is more than that spent on treating all the cancer patients in America, she said.

The First Lady’s campaign comes as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is set to give a major speech on Feb. 8 at the National Press Club in Washington outlining the Administration’s goals for this year’s Congressional reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, the legislation that underpins the nation’s school feeding programs.

The Surgeon General's report is online at: www.surgeongeneral.gov.