Journal #1

Kendra Harms                                   Lets Move                                           October 5^th.

            This article is about Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign.  The title of this article is, “’Let’s Move!’ says Michelle Obama.”  The article begins by informing us who Michelle Obama is, the first lady of the 44^th president, Barack Obama. She has made her mission health and fitness.  Her goal is to help end childhood obesity in the United States with her campaign.  Her campaign was announced in February 2010.  She said her campaign would consist of more physical activity for children, better food labeling and healthier foods in schools.  There has even been a song released to promote her campaign.  It is called, “Let’s Move! Flash Workout.”  The music video was shot in a school cafeteria. As noted in this article, there are several factors that contribute to childhood obesity such as genetic factors, behavioral factors, including energy intake, physical activity and sedentary behavior, and environmental factors. There are many risks that come with being overweight or obese. Unfortunately, nearly one in five children in the U.S. between ages of six and nineteen are obese, and one in three are overweight. The childhood obesity rate has tripled from 1980 to 1999, creating an epidemic.  The “Lets Move” campaign will focus on healthy eating through community involvement, schools, parents and healthcare providers.  It will use nutrition information and the next generation food pyramid to set guidelines for meals. The FDA’s “New Front-of-Package Labeling Initiative” and “New Menu and Vending Machines Labeling Requirements” will help contribute to this campaign.  The first lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign hopes to help cure childhood obesity in the United States by focusing on healthy eating habits being promoted by families, schools and communities. 

            This article has given me many new questions to contemplate regarding this movement.  For example, I know that there are obese children.  However, I had no idea that one in five children in the U.S. between ages six and nineteen are obese.  I found this statistic devastating.  This has affected my thinking process because I don’t know if it is really possible to cure childhood obesity just by focusing on healthy eating habits if there are already that many obese children in the United States.  Another viewpoint this article has made me ponder is that sometimes obesity is because of genetic factors.  Since that is the case wouldn’t these children need a more intensive plan to cure their obesity than other children fighting obesity who don’t have genetics play a factor in their disease.  Also, one of the key points in helping cure childhood obesity in the “Let’s Move” campaign is focusing on healthy eating habits being promoted by families.  This is interesting because I’m sure that not all families will be willing to change their unhealthy eating habits just for this movement.  Obesity doesn’t just affect children, but also adults.  I find that it is likely for a child to be obese because their parents are, so they have adapted their eating habits.  Also, since this movement plans on using the nutrition information of the next generation food pyramid to set guidelines for meals in school, not all children will need to have the same calorie intake.  Children that are underweight will need more calories and will be affected negatively by this movement.  Some children also only get one meal a day and that is from school due to poverty.  These children will be affected negatively due to the low calorie intake meals that will be provided at school.  These thoughts make me wonder if child obesity can be cured, and if it can, how will children who are not obese be affected.

            This article has definitely made me consider many new questions for my research.  A question that immediately came to my mind was is it even possible for childhood obesity to be cured?  I plan to answer this by doing more research on details of the “Let’s Move” campaign and just how this campaign will cure childhood obesity. Another question that has come to my mind is there anything that this campaign affects negatively, like children that need high calorie meals at school? Or children whose only source of food is from school? The ideas that I am reconsidering that I originally thought were that this campaign could reach every child affectively.  What about children who are homeschooled?  This article brings to light an important area of research that I haven’t thought about like how the FDA’s new regulations will help this campaign.  What exactly do they do?  Do they make this mandatory in every school system?  I will go about finding answers by doing more detailed research on not only the campaign, but also certain aspects of the campaign.  My next step is going to be finding out in detail what healthy eating habits will be implemented in schools be