Michelle Obama brings green thumb, campaign against childhood obesity, to 'Sesame Street'

The numbers are frightening. Nearly 1 in 3 children, ages 2 to 19, are obese or overweight. Around the country, school districts scrapped for funds, have canceled recess. Kids being kids hit vending machines filled with fattening soft drinks, candy bars and snack foods.

So First Lady Michelle Obama is marking the 40th year of PBS' "Sesame Street" with an appearance on the Nov. 10 season-opening show geared at getting kids to grow -- and later eat -- vegetables.

"All these seeds need to grow are sun, soil and water," she says in the episode. "If you eat these healthy foods, you're going to grow up to be big and strong like me." Besides, she adds, "I know you're going to like these vegetables because, in addition to being healthy, they really taste great."

The White House says her participation is meant to promote healthy eating, healthy living and combat
childhood obesity. Maybe with President Obama's healthcare package in trouble, the first lady might also be an envoy for battling the costs sparked by obesity, estimated to add $61 billion a year to the healthcare tab.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Richard Termine / Reuters

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Comments

[David Mason]

From somewhere in the middle of my personal dietary campaign against obesity, I hope Michelle Obama parlays her appearance on Sesame Street into a national initiative against caloric excess at all age levels. Our First Lady's evident health and fitness speak to this issue no less eloquently than her words.

With two-thirds of adults in this country overweight or obese it's past time to declare war on overeating and unhealthy food because they are obstacles to quality of life, longevity and affordable health care. Having made great strides against tobacco addiction, we can apply those lessons to this equally critical issue.

For starters, how about warning labels on unhealthy foods and excessive portions? How about restaurant chains posting nutritional information for their entire menus?

[Melanie S.]

Lack of information is not the problem. Americans are well aware that their food choices are unhealthy, and as a type 1 diabetic for over tweny years, nutritional information for fast food is not excessively difficult to obtain. It is a combination of lack of discipline, convenience, and a failure to appreciate the consequences of obesity which have created this problem. All the lecturing and information in the world does not solve these fundamental problems.

[Stephanie Lewandowski]

Hello

This is also a personal concern of my own for which I have started using the principals of weight watchers to assist in guiding better choices for children. Is there a way to become a part of what Michelle Obama is trying to do with child obesity?

A concerned mother and citizen

Stephanie Lewandowski