Michelle Obama proposes Let's Move

This week Michelle Obama introduced her initiative to help fight the childhood obesity crisis. She's calling it Let's Move, which, as you can imagine, resonates with me!

What doesn't make me happy are the comments of the naysayers who insist that "the government" has no right to intrude on this issue. That weight is a "personal issue."

I weighed in on the topic of responsibility in this blog back in May of 2008. I'd like to repeat a part of it here:

It would be wonderful to imagine that if everyone simply took personal responsibility for her or his own weight gain, we wouldn't have to spend $100 billion dealing with obesity. But David Satcher told us that this is "the most overweight, obese generation of children in our history." Exactly whose responsibility is that? Let's think about it.

Without even taking into consideration the $100,000 paid to schools by soft drink companies to fill our children's bodies with empty calories, there's still the issue of recess and physical education disappearing from the schools. Who's making the decisions to eliminate all physical activity from the school day (where children spend most of their waking hours) despite mounting evidence that children need to move -- for the health of both their bodies and their minds? Not the children. Given a choice, they'd happily decide to mix more movement into the day.

There's also the matter of loading children's days with activities that preclude exercising more. Given a choice -- and the opportunity -- children might well opt to spend more of their time running, jumping, and breathing hard. But they're not being allowed to "choose freely." Rather, adults are choosing for them.

Are the children responsible for the fact that 32% of 2- to 7-year-olds -- and 65% of 8- to 18-year-olds -- have TVs in their bedrooms? Is it their fault they're not born with self-limiting mechanisms -- and that too often parents have forgotten how to say no? If young children were able to set their own limits with regard to television viewing and computer and video use, they'd need parents only to provide food, clothing, and shelter.The problem is, once a child is obese because of all these adult-made decisions, the odds are pretty much stacked against him. Not only are behavior patterns, like eating and physical activity habits, established in childhood (educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom contended that 90% of an individual's habits and traits are set by age 12), but long-term studies have also shown that excess body fat tends to persist throughout childhood and into adulthood.

So whose responsibility is it? It's clear to me that we adults need help helping the children. And if Mrs. Obama is offering it, I say we gratefully accept!

Comments

[Michele Silence]

Rae - you're so right. I've been waiting 15 years for someone to do this. I've lectured until sick to my stomach trying to get someone to care - and that includes audiences of p.e. teachers, fitness trainers, preschool staff and doctors. Everyone has been doing a lot of talking about the problem but little to bring about a solution.

Kids aren't born with french fries in their mouths. Someone crams them in. And they're taught it's more fun to sit than move. Any child would rather move, it's adults that take away their love for movement. Many times because they don't want to move themselves!

This is no different to me than the government stepping in to mandate seat belts, helmets, and flouride in water. Intelligent adults refused to do any of those things too, even though they all had lifesaving benefits. Imagine us today without these things in place.

Everyone needs to help with this battle. Teachers. Fitness professionals. Even parents who are not fit themselves.

[Rae Pica]

It's exhausting, isn't it, Michele? But do keep fighting the good fight! And thanks for all you do.