If you have ever seen a picture of the First Lady, you know that the woman is in great shape. You probably also know that Michelle Obama is an avid supporter of reducing childhood obesity in our nation through healthier eating and more active lifestyles. In fact, she launched a health-awareness campaign, Let’s Move!, last year, a campaign that aims to reduce or even eliminate our nation’s obesity epidemic in only one generation. Now, another famous celebrity is joining Michelle in an effort to create awareness for the campaign.
Famous singer Beyonce has released a new music video that encourages children to get up and move. The music video features Beyonce and a cafeteria full of kids who are dancing and having a really good time. Beyonce has remixed her song, “Get Me Bodied,” to create a dance workout video for kids. The song and video are both very lively and really fun to listen to; the goal is that dancing along with Beyonce will help them burn calories and avoid being overweight.
Michelle Obama obviously understands that it is best for people to establish healthy habits at a young age, instead of waiting until the situation has already turned dismal and then trying to revamp their lifestyles in a healthier way later in life. According to Dr. George Flores of the California Endowment, Beyonce does, too. “Beyonce clearly recognizes that schools play a pivotal role in obesity prevention, including healthy school meals and opportunities for an hour or more a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity,” he said.
Dr. Jennifer Helmcamp, a pediatrician and obesity expert, claims that a campaign like Let’s Move will be effective because it will help raise awareness about the issue of childhood obesity.
“One of the great things about [the campaign] is that not only is there a focus on awareness of the problem, but there is also a focus on what behavior changes can be done to improve the problem,” Helmcamp said. “Michelle Obama has modeled behaviors such as planting gardens, exercising and talks about what she does at home to keep her kids healthy. Adding someone like Beyonce to the campaign is great because she is a very visible influence on older children and teens.
What can you do for your part to help your child maintain a healthy weight? First off, you can ensure that they are getting all of their necessary nutrients by packing a healthier lunch for them to take to school. You can also encourage them to be more active, and the best way to do this is to model the behaviors yourself. Luckily, summer time is almost here and summer is ideal for family fitness. Be sure to also limit the amount of time that your children spend sitting and watching TV or playing video games, which studies show has a direct effect on a child’s weight.
Do you have any advice for how to help your child stay healthy? Please share them with us below in the comment section below. Remember, obese children are more likely to be obese adults and have have other health issues as an adult, so Let’s Move now to prevent that in the future.
by Kelsey Murray
Via ABC News