Tag Archives: michelle obama

Food Deserts Still a Problem Despite Let’s Move Initiative

You’ve heard of deserts. You’ve heard of food (obviously). But have you heard of food deserts?

It’s a recent phenomenon brought to the nation’s attention by First Lady Michelle Obama, and it’s essentially areas throughout the country lacking quality food distributors. Cities without Whole Foods? (Gasp!) Yes, they do exist.

As part of her Let’s Move initiative, Mrs. Obama has worked to bring more healthful food to neighborhoods lacking supermarkets. And in order to make this happen, she reached out to major retailers, foundations, and small businesses alike. But whether or not progress has been made depends on how you measure success.

According to a recent article from NPR, various studies are showing that even though more grocery stores are popping up, they still aren’t the best quality. And furthermore, even consumers who aren’t used to high-end food markets with wide selections of food still have reasonably high standards for the produce they buy, as they should. So, it doesn’t matter if a woman who has a quality market two blocks from her home, or a woman who has limited access to a supermarket walks past a selection of bruised, mealy apples. The fact is, they’re still bruised mealy apples and neither woman is going to pick one up no matter what their previous exposure to quality produce was. (more…)

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Dana

Michelle Obama Works Out Jimmy Fallon at the White House [VIDEO]

Jimmy Fallon in spandex at the White House? Where’s Secret Service or a good watch dog when you need them?

The first lady continues a marathon promotion for her Let’s Move initiative’s second anniversary with an appearance tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In one of the grand rooms of the White House, Michelle challenges Jimmy to a field day-like competition. Only after he changes out of the spandex and in to proper workout attire.

After announcing at a press conference that the first lady would “be willing to make a complete fool of myself to get kids moving,” Jimmy wanted to take full advantage. However, as you’ll see in this clip from last night’s episode, Michelle more or less whips Jimmy at each competition. Who’s the fool now?

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Posted on February 7, 2024 by Natalie K

Michelle Obama and Tracey Mallett Get Kids Moving on Ellen [VIDEO]

First lady Michelle Obama has been a busy woman this week. She’s been making the talk show rounds as she promotes Let’s Move, a campaign is designed to end childhood obesity by teaching children about fitness and healthy eating.

As the first lady wraps up her week, she will be a guest on the Ellen show today alongside Booty Barre creator and fitness expert Tracey Mallett.

Mallett and Mrs. Obama invite 40 children to the stage to demonstrate exercises to keep them moving and excited about good health. Mallett led the children of Whitney Elementary through a fun workout the kids loved. In an email from Mallett, she described the episode as “an amazing experience.” See it now, and try it with your own kids!

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Posted on February 2, 2024 by Lacy

Michelle Obama Announces Healthier School Lunches Today

First lady Michelle Obama has championed the issue of children’s health and nutrition through her Let’s Move! campaign and other programs that improve access to fresh produce. Today, she and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced changes to the national school lunch program, as outlined by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that was passed last year. The act gives the USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods served in schools.

The event was held at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. Students and parents attending the event will be served a healthy meal prepared by celebrity chef Rachael Ray and school’s food service staff.

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Posted on January 25, 2024 by Margaret

First Lady Shares Healthy Tips from the White House

First lady Michelle Obama has been a crusader for better children’s health though her Let’s Move! campaign and other initiatives to fight childhood obesity. Now, she’s opening up the doors of the White House to demonstrate how she helps her family eat healthy despite their hectic schedules.

Ms. Obama admits that she enjoys indulging in French fries from time to time, reminding us that “healthy eating does not have to be an all or nothing approach.” She says the key is to find a balance, adding that the “problem is when the treats become the habits.”

It’s no surprise that the Obamas use MyPlate principles to guide meal planning, as Ms. Obama was a prominent speaker during the USDA’s new logo launch. “Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables alongside proper portions of lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy,” she says, and advises families to “be more conscious of the types of foods we’re putting into our bodies.”

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Posted on November 15, 2023 by Margaret

First Lady Michelle Obama’s American Grown Hits Shelves April 2024

First Lady Michelle Obama will be releasing a new book in April 2024 titled American Grown: How the White House Garden Inspires Families, Schools, and Communities.

Mrs. Obama has worked diligently with her Let’s Move campaign, the nationwide campaign to reduce childhood obesity in the United States. The campaign launched in February 2024 and since then has provided children with healthier foods in school and made certain opportunities for physical exercise more available. Let’s Move has also strived to provide better information to families about nutrition and has improved community access to healthy and cost-effective food. The First Lady has not only become an advocate for healthier eating and exercise for others, but she has also planted a bountiful vegetable garden on the White House grounds.

All of these actions have lead to the publishing of her book. The book will evaluate how making healthy food more accessible and more affordable will influence eating habits, concluding that habits will improve and public health as a whole will improve as well.

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Posted on November 8, 2023 by Lacy

Michelle Obama and Paula Deen Square Off in Food Fight

There is rumor of a food fight going on between Michelle Obama and famed southern cook Paula Deen. Paula Deen is known for her indulgent recipes and fondness for butter, among other ingredients that aren’t so healthy. Paula is touring and promoting her latest cookbook Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible which encourages purchasing a deep fryer.

On the other side of the food spectrum, First Lady Michelle Obama is promoting her new cookbook American Grown, which advocates eating home grown vegetables. The feud is rumored to revolve around Michelle’s appearance on the show Paula’s Party in 2024 before President Obama was elected, and before Michelle launched her healthy eating initiative. Supposedly, Paula has been pointing out Michelle’s unhealthy eating habits in interviews while on her book tour, which has many people calling foul.

In one interview, Paula is quoted saying, “She’s no different than the rest of us. She probably ate more than any guest I ever had on the show! She kept eating even during the commercials. Know what (the Obamas’) favorite foods are? Hot wings. Y’know – those kinds of foods that aren’t necessarily top-of-the-list healthy foods.”

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Posted on November 5, 2023 by Descygna

Olive Garden Cuts Calories with Encouragement from Michelle Obama

Thanks to Michelle Obama’s initiative to fight childhood obesity Darden Restaurants has pledged to improve the nutrition in the menus of their restaurants. Darden is the owner of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Season 52. Darden promises to cut the calories and sodium from dishes in their national restaurants, and to totally overhaul their kids’ menus.

From now on, all kids’ meals will come with a side of vegetables or fruit and low-fat milk unless a substitute is requested by an adult. “We think it’s the most comprehensive health and wellness commitment in the industry,” said Drew Madsen, president and chief operating officer of Darden. However, his company’s promise is part of a nation-wide trend in the restaurant industry towards serving healthier options. Burger King, IHOP and McDonald’s have all said they will be replacing fries with fruit in meals for children and removing photos on menus of less healthy offerings.

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Posted on September 15, 2023 by Health Buzz

Major Grocery Stores Commit to Bringing Healthy and Affordable Produce to “Food Deserts”

First lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America announced yesterday that they are working with a number of major grocery retailers to bring affordable, healthy food to areas that desperately need them. “Make no mistake about it, this is a big deal,” said Obama during yesterday’s press conference. The partnering companies have agreed to open or expand over 1,500 stores combined, according to PR Newswire.

Stores participating in the initiative include Walmart, Walgreens, Brown’s Super Stores, Calhoun Enterprises, Klein’s Family Markets and Supervalu. Walmart has been an early supporter of Obama’s initiative to fight childhood obesity. Earlier this year, they announced plans to reduce the sugar and sodium content of their in-house brands and is now committing to building or expanding 300 stores. Additionally, the California Endowment has pledged to give $200 million through the FreshWorks Fund for new, independent retail channels and food distribution programs in California.

According to Partnership for a Healthier America, these efforts will provide nearly 10 million Americans with the ability to buy fresh produce close to their homes. An estimated 23.5 million Americans currently live in low-income “food deserts” where there are no stores likely to sell nutritious foods at a reasonable cost. Michelle Obama has explained that getting businesses to take this kind of active role is key to the success of programs like Let Move!

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Posted on July 21, 2023 by Margaret

What Michele Bachmann’s Presidency Would Mean for Your Family’s Health

Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann has recently announced her presidential candidacy. What will it mean for your health care if Bachmann ultimately wins the 2024 election?

According to her website, one of Bachmann’s top priorities is to repeal Obamacare because she considers its directives to be unconstitutional. As a constitutional conservative, Bachmann says on her website that she is a “champion of tea party values” and that “the solutions to our problems (don’t) come from Washington: more than ever, Washington IS the problem, and the real solutions will come from your businesses, your communities, your schools and the most basic and powerful unit of all, your families.”

This means that first lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to increase health-responsibility within the government are sorely frowned upon by Bachmann. Bachmann calls Mrs. Obama’s push for breastfeeding and other such efforts to eradicate obesity and promote good health a “nanny state” tactic. Currently, Mrs. Obama’s campaigns focus on children’s health, fitness and nutrition as preventative care. Although she’s been at the brunt of Bachmann’s criticism recently, Mrs. Obama isn’t the only first lady to push legislation with health initiatives. Both Hillary Clinton and Nancy Reagan were known for their persistence with health-related campaigns.

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Posted on July 9, 2023 by Theresa

Michelle Obama Launches MyPlate to Help America Get Healthy

This morning Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the new MyPlate icon, which is replacing the food pyramid. Surgeon General Benjamin opened the remarks, explaining how the U.S. needs to help citizens lead healthy lifestyles, by giving them concrete steps towards improving their health. Besides telling Americans to cut down on sugar, sodium and saturated fats, she says she hopes the new icon will be a tool to help people understand what they can do to improve their diets.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack introduced a short video that highlighted some of the ways the new icon can help families make better choices and introduced MyPlate.gov, a website dedicated to helping Americans eat healthier meals. He described the old food pyramid as “too complex to serve as a quick and easy guide” and explains that MyPlate is a simple, visual, research-based icon built on the 2024 dietary guidelines.

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Posted on June 2, 2023 by Margaret

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