Let's Movement Campaign

The rate of childhood obesity has grown an enormous amount over the years with more than 40 million children being overweight! That number is astonishingly high and it is very obvious that something needs to be done about this. Studies had shown in 2008 that more than 40 million children were said to be overweight and the sad truth is that they are still increasing rapidly to this day; also every 1 in 4 teenagers is said to not reach the fitness guidelines (Tanner) according to an article by Lindsey Tanner. For this problem to be resolved not only do the parents of children need to make sure their kids are staying active but also, the schools they attend need to make sure they are getting a well-balanced meal and have some type of physical activity during their school day. Each state in America is given a percentage rate on the number of obese people in that particular state. The highest ranking state is Mississippi with a percentage of 34.9 and the state ranking the least is Connecticut with 24.5 percent. Different researches have shown that each day 850 lives are taken due to obesity and each year there are more than 300,000 people that die from obesity related illnesses. These are deaths that most likely could have been avoided if these individuals would have had the proper exercise and diet in their lives.

Some obstacles that the CDC webinar focuses on are environmental barriers. The barriers are: shifts in food practices in the U.S, changes in physical activity levels, and television viewing/food marketing to children. One of the initiatives incorporated in the federal level was supported by former first Lady, Michelle Obama. The First Lady lead a national public awareness effort to improve the health of our children which targeted the increase cases of childhood obesity. This public health campaign, Let’s Move, used media and public schools’ attention to make this information accessible to parents and children everywhere in the United States. Health care providers adopted the mission of Let’s Move when providing care for their younger clients

This national initiative was put in place in 2010 by efforts of First Lady, Michelle Obama. The main goal of the initiative is to combat the childhood obesity epidemic. The program has put in place multiple action plans, in the hopes of putting kids in the path to a healthy lifestyle. The campaign has also included parents and schools to be a part of these programs. They are key places and people that allow for child development and decision making. Although this is a national campaign, strategies are being implemented within small communities across the nation. Some of the interventions that can be found are: Let’s Move! Active Schools, Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Countries, Let’s Move! salad bars to schools, Let’s Move! Childcare and Let’s Move! Outside. The campaign has had many accomplishments since its establishment. One of these is the President Challenge Youth Fitness Test, which is expected to be in 90% of schools by 2018. According to Let’s Move!, “The new Presidential Youth Fitness Program is a voluntary, school-based program that assesses students’ fitness-based health and helps them progress over time”(Let’s Move!, 2015). The Let’s Move! national campaign is still ongoing and no formal evaluation has been done, but success can be measured through the implementation of the accomplishments and policies that have accompanied the campaign. One policy is the Healthy, Hungry-free Kids Act of 2010, that touches upon changing nutritional guidelines in school lunches and other food

It says: 1. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices, 2. Providing healthier foods in schools, 3. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food, and 4. Helping children become more physically active (Let’s Move!). Here, they not only try to replace unhealthy foods with healthier ones, but also increase accessibility and affordability of healthy food for the families that cannot afford them. This cannot be done by profit-motivated private companies. What the initiative is doing here is just to show all the stakeholders including parents, families, schools, communities, health care, industry, media, and government a right direction to solve the problem and let them get involved it with their own initiatives.

She used her platform specifically to put an end to childhood obesity but also to put an end to food deserts. However, she needed a starting point that would guide her to a better understanding of the root of the problem. Food deserts would be that starting point. No one is born into obesity; there are dozens of factors that lead up to that stage. The primary factors are the food a person consumes and their environment. First Lady Obama first launched her campaign in 2010, envisioning healthier lifestyles for children starting at younger ages. On her formally active campaign page she addressed the need to make sure that families had access to the right foods, received an abundance of support (whether at a macro or micro level), and most importantly that the children stayed physically active throughout their lives. Mrs. Obama received a four-hundred-million-dollar investment for teaming up with big name supermarkets that would open stores in food deserts and in turn receive a tax break (DoSomething, 2015). Unfortunately, at the end of President Barack Obama’s term her campaign came to an end. But the campaign did not go without drawing attention to food deserts and the lack of help those infected neighborhoods were

The Federal Government plays a great role in the health of American children. Michelle Obama, the First Lady, is the founder of the Let’s Move! foundation. This foundation was created no only to get children to be more active, but also strives to provide healthier food for schools. Let’s Move! is meant to empower those who wish to make a difference and reminds us that everybody has a role to play when it comes to reducing childhood obesity. The Federal Government’s role also comes into play with the National School Lunch Program.

First Lady Michelle Obama launched her LET’S MOVE! initiative after engaging in national conversations with America’s children when she broke ground in preparation for the White House Kitchen Garden with students in Washington, DC. First Lady Obama found that over the past three decades childhood obesity rates had more than tripled. She pointed out that the numbers were higher in African-American and Hispanic communities where practically 40% of the children are overweight or obese (Let’s Move, 2010).

Childhood obesity has expanded tremendously within the past thirty years (CDC, 2015). It is not only a state, but also a nationwide issue. For many children, they depend on their school lunches to provide them the nutritious meals they cannot afford to have at home. As a community, we need to get our children into better shape. Not only will they become more astute, but they will also live healthier lifestyles, and have less health complications as they age. When you are overweight or obese, you are much more likely to develop health problems like heart disease, diabetes, or even a stroke. It is our responsibility as a community, state, and nation to offer nutritious meals and activities for our youth and future.

The Obesity epidemic in America has continued due to ignorance. People are aware that eating and excessive amount of food causes obesity and obesity leads to serious health risks. According to,the Obesity Society,“Obesity puts individuals at risk for more than 30 chronic health conditions. They include: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, gallstones, heart disease, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea GERD...and numerous cancers.”(“What is Obesity”).People have unlimited access to this information, however,millions of Americans are obese. However, if one chooses to acknowledge the issue future issues can be prevented. First lady, Michelle Obama enforced obesity prevention programs in school,such as “Myplate” .(“Team Nutrition”).By enforcing this program she is helping to prevent childhood obesity.

in an attempt to end childhood obesity in this generation (Mantel). The “Let’s Move” Campaign

Obesity continues to be a problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. Seventeen percent of children and adolescents about 12.5 million are obese (Diet). Obesity is the result of a rise in fat that accumulated over time due to the lack of exercise and having a calorie surplus due to unhealthy food. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than 30% is considered to be obese (Obesity). There isn’t a direct focus on obesity, because people don’t think it’s an important issue. To ensure a better future, solution is needed now. The solution to ending the obesity epidemic by encouraging a healthier lifestyle on children at young ages, improving nutrition at schools and restaurants, as well as providing more time and space for citizens to get physically active.

They aim to eliminate the childhood obesity epidemic by working with policy makers, clinical improvement professionals, and healthcare professionals to ensure every child has access to high-quality care through a medical home. Even as early as conception, parents, healthcare providers and leaders can take steps during prenatal care to keep children fit and on track for a healthy future. It is organizations like these that we need. More involvement will create a wide spread and influence more people to commit towards fighting against obesity validating its importance.

Childhood obesity is one of the major public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally. In 2013, the number of overweight children under the age of five was estimated over 42 million. Childhood obesity can cause premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children will grow up to become obese adults and are more likely to develop diseases like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at a younger age. Many factors can contribute overweight and obesity in children, however a global shift in dietary habits and lack of physical activity play a crucial role. Overweight and obesity are preventable. Unlike adults, children cannot select the environment they live or the food they eat, they are unware about the long term health consequences of their behavior. Therefore, it is important to have strict policies for the prevention of obesity epidemic. School play an important role in fighting against the epidemic of childhood obesity (World Health Organization, 2016). Even after the legislature has enacted laws to support school nutrition and physical education, many states including, Texas has not yet adopted these policies. It is important to have these policies in practice to prevent childhood obesity (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014). Government play an important role in making sustainable changes in public health. For that reason, the author is intended to

A measure that has been effective in improving the health of children, as well as mothers in America, can be seen through Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign. In Mrs. Obama's Let's Move campaign, she made sure that she addresses each component that could possibly affect a child's health (The White House, 2010). For instance, she focused on implementing changes in parents, removing food deserts, bringing more awareness in schools along with providing more access to healthier foods (The White House, 2010). Focusing on the educational aspect, the establishment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Act altered the food that was served at school. The "school meal nutrition standard [was] updated for the first time in 15 years and increased funding for the

The Let’s Move initiative is devoted to solving the problem of childhood obesity. After the launch of this initiative, President Barack Obama also put into motion the first task force on childhood obesity with a goal of decreasing obesity in children to 5% by the year 2030 (U.S. Task Force, 2010). The Let’s Move initiative is built upon the following four pillars: