Michelle Obama Takes On Big Food

The First Lady takes her campaign against childhood obesity to a whole new level, demanding that big food companies take responsibility for their role in our children's ill-health.

Michelle Obama has become a stalwart champion of healthy food, establishing a White House garden and mounting a full-on campaign against childhood obesity.

Now the First Lady is taking her crusade to a whole 'nother level, challenging some of the nation's biggest food companies — the likes of Coca-Cola, General Mills and Kraft — to "entirely rethink the products that you're offering, the information that you provide about these products and how you market those products to our children," according to the Washington Post. 

Standing ovation for Mrs. Obama! As someone concerned about the state of our country's food system and our children's health, I find the words "entirely rethink" in this context to be a magical incantation. It is thrilling to finally see someone in a position of authority telling food companies that they share responsibility for our deplorable situation, which is characterized by childhood obesity rates that have tripled over the past thirty years.

This hard-talking persona is part of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move campaign, a federal initiative that aims to eradicate childhood obesity within a generation. While most of her efforts so far have been positive appeals to win the support of parents, schools and the public, she's now getting down to brass tacks. This was her first public appeal to the food industry.

Our children's growing waistlines are attracting a lot of high-profile attention. Former President Clinton recently rededicated himself to the cause, and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will be tackling the issue in a new television show, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, premiering March 26 on ABC. The show features him trying to overhaul the eating habits of the West Virginia town named most unhealthy in a government survey.

But until now, as far as I know, no one's gotten as tough as the First Lady has on the food companies that supply the unhealthy food that is sickening our kids. Now to watch and see if they play ball.

Photo by Joe Gasper via Flickr.