Presidential Task Force Takes Steps to Combat Childhood Obesity

Making More Nutritious Food Available

President Obama established an executive branch task force and appointed his wife, Michelle Obama to head the task force that is assigned to create a plan to fight childhood obesity within the next 90 days. According to U.S. statistics as reported by Chicago Tribune, one in three children is considered obese. Now that these statistics have reached epidemic proportions, the U.S. government is taking a role to work with public and private interests to protect children's health.

According to health warnings, obesity is a precursor for adult onset diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and asthma, among other diseases, and could ultimately cause children a shorter lifespan than their parents. The economic impact on the healthcare system is staggering, some reports at billions of dollars per year is spent on healthcare caused by obesity.

To kick off the task force objective, a national public awareness campaign titled "Let's Move" was launched by Michelle Obama that will ask for the cooperation of public health practitioners, nutritionists, educators, doctors, food producers, and parents to help make the necessary changes to impact children's diet and exercise programs.

Among the many proposed changes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to work with food manufacturers to make food labels more customer friendly. The FDA has already made training programs available for the public. Educating consumers on nutrition facts shown on product labels will help support better decisions for consumers, including relevant serving size and calorie information.

The proposed plan to fight childhood obesity will attempt to create tax incentives with congressional approval for food grocers to supply more nutritious food to areas where there is limited access. In a previous Main Street News article pertaining to health impacts of food choices, it was reported that the USDA commissioned a study on the impacts of limited accessibility or affordability of nutritious food.

Furthermore, campaign funds will be allocated to establish and promote farmers' markets. Fresh local and regional produce and specialty foods available through farmers' markets will contribute to access to healthier food alternatives.

Schools may see significant funding of federal school lunch programs to boost nutrition as well as efforts to make more nutritious foods available in school vending machines.

One of the hardest parts of the proposed plan will be to encourage children to exercise more. Michelle Obama tried out some changes with her own children, as she said, in a transcript reported by National Public Radio including limiting TV time, which President Obama has also encouraged other families to do, that has helped their daughters to become more active.

State and local governments will also be expected to give support for the proposed plan.