partnership for a healthier america michelle obama

In her remarks, the first lady talked about working with supermarkets to distribute recipes and offer cooking demonstrations, with schools to develop the 'home economics class of the future' to give students basic cooking skills, and with chefs to get them to offer affordable cooking classes in their restaurants.Launched in 2010 in conjunction with her Let’s Move! campaign, the Partnership for a Healthier America has been a key part of Obama’s war on fat. She promised announcements of new initiatives in the coming months. The promised focus on helping families create healthier habits by cooking more meals at home fits that approach.

Federal legislation and regulations are leading to changes in school breakfast and lunch programs, and are expected to bring an updated 'Nutrition Facts' label to packaged products before the end of the decade. Her strategy largely has been to cajole food and beverage makers, retailers, restaurants and others to make healthier products. 'Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas and congratulate ourselves on a job well done,' Obama said. She said it was not enough evidence to declare the problem solved and urged everyone to keep working on solutions, especially among older kids. She said recent federal statistics showing a sharp decline in obesity rates among children ages 2 to 5 is an important but small achievement. And that's why I'm in this thing for the long haul, and I mean long after I leave the White House, because I believe in finishing what I start.' 'We cannot walk away until every child in this country has a shot at a healthy life. 'We cannot walk away from this issue until obesity rates drop for children of every age and every background,' she said. She pledged Friday to stick with the issue long after she's gone. Obama made reducing the nation's childhood obesity problem and urging healthy eating and exercise for all her first major project as soon as she got to the White House in 2009. Not to worry, says Obama, because plenty of meals can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes for cheaper than takeout. Once upon a time, most Americans ate mostly home cooking now many worry they don't have the time or the skills. Among them was yogurt maker Dannon, which announced Friday that it will begin reducing the amount of sugar and fat in all its brands. It so far has more than 70 commitments from companies of all sizes, said Larry Soler, its CEO. The partnership works to support the goals of the campaign and with businesses to bring them on board and hold them accountable for the commitments they make to improve the health of Americans. The first lady, dressed in a gray frock with a black lace overlay, is honorary chairwoman of the nonprofit organization, created in conjunction with her 'Let's Move!' initiative against childhood obesity. 'The question is: How do we help families start cooking again, even if it's just one or two meals a week?' she told the audience of public health professionals, nutritionists, corporate leaders and others in the closing address at the conference organized by the Partnership for a Healthier America. More and more, she said, healthy habits are becoming the new norm in the USA. She said her mother kept a strict food budget, planned her meals for the week and went grocery shopping every Saturday. 'But research clearly shows that home-cooking is one of the single most impactful ways for families to improve their health.'Īs she often does, Obama pointed to the example of her own family in Chicago. 'Now, I know this might not seem like an earth-shattering notion - though neither was planting a garden in the White House, I will remind you,' she said to laughter, according to the White House transcript. First lady Michelle Obama said today what many have long suspected: Home-cooking is healthier cooking.Īddressing a health summit in Washington, the first lady said the next phase of her anti-obesity campaign will be to help people cook more of their meals at home, because home-cooked meals have less fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories than restaurant meals.

Partnership for a healthier america michelle obama