Next, Michelle Obama's health reform plan for the nation's restaurant menus and families dining out

First Lady Michelle Obama, who has been unable to convince the Smoker-in-Chief to give up that dreadful habit, now has some health suggestions for other American families and for restaurant menus across the country. The goal is to eat healthier, although that might hurt restaurant sales and cause disappointed children.

Obama, who has made combating childhood obesity and inactivity her favored causes, addressed the National Restaurant Assn. (See the text below, along with photos of her husband not eating arugula.) She, of course, has her own personal chef brought in from Chicago and took full parental responsibility for guiding her daughters' diets because parents are crucial habit-formers and role models, even in food choices.

But Obama would like to see more healthy choices for Americans dining out, even if it means a restaurant deleting a best-selling menu item.

The Democrat suggested that Americans are "programmed" by taste and advertising to eat many things that the government and health professionals know are not healthy for their bodies. So she wants to facilitate a nationwide re-programming of personal tastes by having restaurants start serving less of what customers ignorantly want and more of what they should have.

One idea Mrs. Obama had is to serve apple slices as the default side dish with, say, hamburgers, instead of French fries, which she confessed to liking.

Also she'd like less butter and cream in restaurant dinners, not enough to....

...ruin the flavor but enough to make them healthy. A difficult balance, millions have learned.

Her other suggestions: Substitute whole wheat pasta for white. Smaller portions (presumably for smaller prices). Less mac and cheese, chicken fingers and cheeseburgers on kids' menus. More carrots.

Mrs. Obama expressed concern that Americans are now spending more money on food purchased and/or eaten outside the home, which many in her audience of restaurant business owners likely think is a pretty good thing.

The first lady doesn't mind ordinary families eating out on special occasions. But, she claimed, restaurant efforts to reduce calories and fats have been insufficient. And too slow. "We just don't have the time to waste," Mrs. Obama added.

"As humans, we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods," Mrs. Obama told the group.

"And as people who work to meet those needs, I know it’s tempting to respond by creating products that are sweeter, richer and saltier than ever before. But here’s the catch. See, feeding those cravings doesn't just respond to people’s natural desires, it actually helps shape them. The more of these foods people eat, the more they're accustomed to that taste, and after a while, those unhealthy foods become a permanent part of their eating habits."

She said she understood that healthy meals sell less, which is not a good thing for any business. But she said the problem of obesity is so great, it must be addressed urgently by all means.

She said it's also important to change these national eating habits because they end up costing billions in additional healthcare costs.

Grab some cauliflower and savor her full remarks below.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Remarks on restaurant menus by Michelle Obama, as provided by the White House

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks so much. (Applause.) Well, good morning. Let me start by thanking Michael for his work and for that kind introduction.

And I want to also thank Dawn Sweeny and everyone at the National Restaurant Association for having me here. It is a pleasure for me to be with you all.

So today I’m going to talk about food, which is something that all of you here today know a little bit about.

Together, you represent 40 percent of the nearly one million restaurants in the United States, from the biggest chains to the smallest diners. You know what Americans like to eat and what they don’t. You’ve seen how the ingredients we put in our bodies affect the way we feel and the way we feel about ourselves. And you also understand the unique role that food, and restaurants especially, play in our own lives and in the life of our nation.

Restaurants have always been places to celebrate a special occasion or mark an important milestone, to bond with new friends and grow closer as a family. They provide a service to our communities unlike any other. And even as tastes and customs have changed over time, restaurants remain an incredibly dynamic part of our American story.

And today, one out of every two dollars spent on food in this country goes towards meals outside the home -– and that’s double what it was just 50 years ago.

And one-third of all meals today are eaten in restaurants.
 
So it’s clear that eating out has become part of our American way of life.

And while restaurants are still places where we go to mark a special occasion -– to celebrate a good report card, an anniversary, a job well done –- restaurants aren’t just for those who can afford to splurge anymore.

Instead, they’ve grown to fit every lifestyle and every budget.

And our eating habits have evolved over time as well -– both in restaurants and at home -– but not always in ways that are good for our health.

And that’s another reason I wanted to talk to you today –- about an issue that is near and dear to my heart not just as First Lady, but as a mother -– and that is the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today.

Now, I know you’re all familiar with the statistics: how one in three children in this country is overweight or obese. And you know the consequences for their health –- from hypertension and diabetes to heart disease and even cancer.

And I know you’re all aware of the economic impact: the billions of dollars we spend every year treating obesity-related conditions -– costs that you pay in the form of rising health insurance premiums.

So it’s clear that we’re facing a problem that is really big. And it’s also clear that this problem has a whole range of different causes.

Our kids are spending less time outside and more time on the couch in front of the TV, video games, the Internet. At school, gym classes, recess, they’ve been eliminated or shortened.  Portion sizes in this country have ballooned. 

In some areas, families are having a tougher time getting regular access to fresh produce. And kids these days are consuming more calories and eating more fat and sugar than ever before.

And that’s why, earlier this year, we launched “Let’s Move!” This is a nationwide campaign with a simple but ambitious goal: We want to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that kids born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

And “Let’s Move!” is about attacking this problem from all different angles. It’s about giving parents the information and the resources they need to make healthy decisions for their families.

It’s about giving grocery stores -- helping them to locate in underserved areas, so that every community has access to fresh and nutritious food. It’s about getting healthier food into our schools. It’s about helping our kids become more active, not just in school but at home.

But here’s the thing. Even if we give parents all the information they need and we improve school meals and build brand new supermarkets on every corner, none of that matters if when families step into a restaurant, they can’t make a healthy choice.

And the truth is that while restaurants are offering more options and families take advantage of them more often, they aren’t always the healthiest choices.

Research has shown that kids consume more saturated fat and less fiber and calcium when they eat out. And the meals they eat at restaurants have twice as many calories as the ones they eat at home.

Now, as parents we know that many of our kids aren’t as healthy and active as they should be. And we desperately want to do things differently. But when stores and restaurants don't offer healthy options, or when parents don't have the information to make the best choices for their families, that's easier said than done.

And as America’s restaurant owners, you’re responsible for one-third of the calories our kids get on a daily basis. The choices you make determine what’s listed on the menus, what’s advertised on billboards, and what’s served on our plates.

And your decisions about how a dish is prepared, what goes into it and where is it placed on the menu, that can have a real impact on the way people eat.

And that's why we need your help. And we need your help now, because when you see research showing that obese toddlers already display some warning signs for heart disease, it’s clear that we just don't have the time to waste.

And that's why I’ve been so pleased to hear about what some of you are doing already both in working with us and on your own.
 
Here at the NRA, you’ve developed the Food and Healthy Living Initiative to give restaurants a strong foundation for making healthy changes. You’ve launched a website, Healthydiningfinder.com, to help consumers identify healthy menu options in their area.

You're keeping your members up to date with the latest information and statistics about efforts to address childhood obesity. And you’re working with other groups in the industry to meet the goal of doubling the amount of produce used in the food industry over the next 10 years.

And across the country, individual restaurants and chains are also focusing on our children’s health -- not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it also makes sense for their bottom line.

Right now, many restaurants are making a point to offer fresh produce and healthy choices aimed at kids and adults.  Others are serving more low-fat dishes, whole grain breads, fruit on the side. Some are even offering kid-size portions of the meals they serve on the main menu. And chefs across the country are partnering with local schools to help them make healthy choices.

But as positive as these examples are, the reality is it’s just not enough. Together we have to do more. We have to go further. And we need your help to lead this effort.

Now, what I do know is that in the restaurant industry creativity is your lifeblood. It’s what sets you apart from the competition, and it keeps customers coming back for more.

And today I am asking you to use that creativity to rethink the food you offer, especially dishes aimed at young people, and to help us make the healthier choice the easier choice.

First, it’s important to reduce the number of empty calories that our families are consuming, calories that have no nutritional benefit whatsoever. And believe me, I know this is easier said than done.

After all, we as humans, we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods. And as people who work to meet those needs, I know it’s tempting to respond by creating products that are sweeter, richer and saltier than ever before.

But here’s the catch. See, feeding those cravings does just respond to people’s natural desires, it actually helps shape them. The more of these foods people eat, the more they're accustomed to that taste, and after a while, those unhealthy foods become a permanent part of their eating habits.
 
But here’s the good news: It can work the other way around just as easily. Just as we can shape our children’s preferences for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, with a little persistence and creativity we can also turn them on to higher quality, healthier foods.

It starts with offering healthier options designed specifically for kids. And today, no matter what kind of restaurant you visit -- whether it’s Italian, French, Mexican, American -- most kids’ menus look pretty much the same. And trust me, we’ve seen a lot of them.

One local survey found that 90 percent of those menus includes mac and cheese -- our children’s favorite; 80 percent includes chicken fingers; 60 includes burgers or cheeseburgers.

Some options weigh in at over 1,000 calories, and that’s close to the recommended amount that a child should have for the entire day. And I think -- and I know you all think -- that our kids deserve better than that.

That’s why I want to challenge every restaurant to offer healthy menu options and then provide them up front so that parents don’t have to hunt around and read the small print to find an appropriately sized portion that doesn’t contain levels -- high levels of fat, salt and sugar.
 
These choices have to be easy to make and they have to give parents the confidence to know that they can go into any restaurant in this country and choose a genuinely healthy meal for their kids.

Now, again, I know it’s easier said than done. It’s not easy to come up with choices that are both healthy and palatable for kids. And it may mean putting in some real effort and creativity to make this happen.

But what it doesn’t mean is providing just one token healthy option on the menu, or taking out one problematic ingredient and replacing it with another. And it is not about finding creative ways to market unhealthy food products as healthy.

Instead, it’s about producing products that actually are healthy; products that can help our children get into the habits that will last them a lifetime.
 
This philosophy also needs to apply to the rest of the food that you offer, because just as we eat out as a family, we also should be able to eat well as a family.

And as a mother of two soon-to-be teenagers, I know that many kids, especially tweens and teens, eat off the same menu that their parents do.

I'm not asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to totally change the way you do business. But what I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love.

That could mean substituting wheat pasta for white pasta in your regular recipes, or taking out an existing -- taking an existing dish and cutting the amount of butter or cream -- not enough to sacrifice flavor -- we all like flavor -- but just enough to make a meaningful difference in the amount of calories and fat.

It could mean serving 1 percent or skim milk. Or you could make healthy sides like apple slices or carrots the default choice in a menu and make fries something customers have to request -- which would hurt me deeply. (Laughter.) I'm a fry lover.
 
And no matter what you do, it’s also important, truly important, to keep portion sizes in check, because we all know that the size of a meal is just as important as the ingredients it’s made of.

But your role in helping address childhood obesity isn’t limited to what you put on your menus and how you label them for parents. It’s also about how you market those products to our kids.

Our kids don’t learn about the latest fast-food creations on their own. They hear about them on TV, advertisements, in the Internet, video games, and many other places. And as any parent knows, this marketing is highly effective.

As a mom, I know it is my responsibility, and no one else’s, to raise my kids. But we have to ask ourselves, what does it mean when so many parents are finding their best efforts undermined by an avalanche of advertisements aimed at our kids.

A study last year found that only a small percentage of advertising aimed at kids promoted healthy foods, while most promoted foods with a low nutritional value. And let’s be clear: It’s not enough just to limit ads for foods that aren’t healthy.   It’s also going to be critical to increase marketing for foods that are healthy.

And if there’s anyone who can sell healthy food to our kids, it’s all of you, because you know what gets their attention.  You know what makes a lasting impression.  You certainly know what gets them to drive their poor parents crazy because they just have to have something.
 
So I'm here today to ask you to use that knowledge and that power to our kids’ advantage. I'm asking you to actively promote healthy foods and healthy habits to our kids.

Again, I know many of you have said that you would offer and promote healthy options in a heartbeat if they were as popular as the healthy -- unhealthy options, because that’s how business works, and I understand that.

But I’ve yet to meet a single parent who doesn’t understand the threat of childhood obesity. I’ve yet to meet a single parent who’s not eager to buy healthier products. They just need more information. They need easier access to those products.

And I’ve heard from more companies over the year that the market is starting to move in a healthier direction. Folks are beginning to ask for more fruits and vegetables and for smaller portions. So when it comes right down to it, this is also about protecting your bottom lines and meeting the demands of your customers -- customers who I know you want to keep coming back again and again.

That’s why we’re committed to helping increase that demand and making it easier for you to do what’s right. And we’ve started by requiring chain restaurants to provide calorie counts on their menus and menu boards. And I am grateful for the support we’ve received from the NRA to get this done. And I want to encourage restaurants that aren’t providing calorie counts to join us in this effort.

And because so many of the calories our kids consume come from school, we’re also working to get more nutritious food into our lunchrooms and our vending machines. And, again, the NRA has been playing an important role in these efforts as well.

As part of “Let’s Move,” we’re setting a goal of doubling the number of schools that participate in the Healthier US Schools Challenge by next year. And we’re working with schools and food suppliers to offer more fruits and vegetables and to cut down on that fat, sugar and salt.
And, finally, we’re working with mayors and other local officials to make our cities and towns healthier and to highlight restaurants that agree to serve smaller portions and promote more nutritious options.

So I hope that all of you will join with us in these efforts. Together, we can help make sure that every family that walks into a restaurant can make an easy, healthy choice.

We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture -- imagine this -- where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them.

See, after all, that’s one of the core ideals this industry was founded on. I recently learned that the term “restaurant” actually comes from the French word for “restore.”  And when the idea of the restaurant business spread across the ocean, some of the first true restaurants in this country emphasized their ability to make people healthier and to cure what ailed them.

So today, you are all the heirs to that legacy. And you face a similar opportunity both as business owners -- but also as parents, not just to fulfill your obligations to shareholders, but to fulfill the obligation we all have to the next generation.

So I hope that each of you will do your part to give our kids the future that we all know they deserve. And I want to truly thank you for what you have done, because you have done so much, and for what you’re going to do.

I look forward to working with you all in the months and years ahead. Good luck to you all and God bless you and your families. Take care. Thank you. (Applause.)    ####

Photos: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press (Michelle Obama speaking to restaurant owners); Charles Dharapak / Associated Press (napkin, chicken wings, pancakes); CBS News (Philly cheesesteak); Getty Images (eating kringle in Wisconsin); Associated Press (hot dog, waffles, fried chicken, shaved ice, pizza); Charles Dharapak / Associated Press (cheeseburgers with Joe Biden); Associated Press (sandwich, beer).  

Comments

[12wlw12]

We are obese because our food supply has been so altered (and tasteless) that it no longer has the nutrients the body needs. If this were not so, we wouldn't be hungry 30 minutes after we have eaten what is called today, a healthy meal. Our bodies NEED sugar, salt and yes, animal fats! Little by little these have been altered/removed from our foods, so we grow fat and weak!! The lack of nutrients also affects the brain cells.. maybe that is the reason we allowed people like these into our WH!

[Michelle Newman]

As long as someone doesn't come up with a law that says what the First Lady wants - goes! She's right about so many things, but what this administration is all about is taking your right to choose away. We need to keep that right. You don't legislate good health. You can encourage and offer advice, just not force it. So, as long as she's only for encouragement, I'm all for her talking about it. But, with the Obama Administration and those who follow him - you never know.

[Joe]

i'm weary of hearing from her and BO. I'm wondering what they are serving up in all those parties they're hosting.

[Ellie Light]

glad to see Michelle" Marie Antoinett" OBumbles is such a eating/healt expert ( just look at them thighs - bigger than a turkey)

yea right "Thunder Thighs" you qualify to tell us what to do

[Bartie]

What a CROCK! My favorite foods are NOT sugary, salty, or fatty. My favorite foods are asparagus, broccoli, spinach, squash, green beans, berries, melons, apples, TOMATOES, artichokes, carrots, lean beef, broiled chicken, etc. And when I eat out, which is rare, and we can't afford LOBSTER, we want to eat whatever we want to eat, it is a treat! We haven't had a vacation this year!

Michelle O says.... "As humans, we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods," Mrs. Obama told the group. "And as people who work to meet those needs, I know it’s tempting to respond by creating products that are sweeter, richer and saltier than ever before. But here’s the catch. See, feeding those cravings doesn't just respond to people’s natural desires, it actually helps shape them. The more of these foods people eat, the more they're accustomed to that taste, and after a while, those unhealthy foods become a permanent part of their eating habits."

She said she understood that healthy meals sell less, which is not a good thing for any business. But she said the problem of obesity is so great, it must be addressed urgently by all means. She said it's also important to change these national eating habits because they end up costing billions in additional healthcare costs.

Grab some cauliflower and savor her full remarks below.

[GavInTucson]

Perhaps she should get her own house in order before worrying about what I'm eating. Her husband, at every opportunity while she's away, continues to shovel down "bad" food saying, "Don't tell Michelle."

It would be funny if it weren't so sad and, frankly, hypocritical.

[greg]

Whoever thought to illustrate MO's socialist-inspired speech with images of her husband stuffing his piehole with all manner of state-unapproved food, brilliant! For once I feel a tingle running down my leg after reading an LA Times article. Feed us more, please.

[Letty]

Mrs. Antoinette shows her hypocrisy yet again...I really find it appalling that this woman thinks she has the RIGHT to try and alter the nutritional lives of my children.
Someone needs to back-hand her and bring her back to the stark reality that she is NOT a queen governing a village of peasants.
Work on your own house before you try and change other people's lives with your stale words that have no meaning to the majority.
Get your OWN life and leave mine and my family's alone...govern your own husband and chubby children.

[Evelyn Davey]

If I had a personal chef and an unlimited amount of grocery money I could do a better job also. Or, maybe the government could demand that the cheap unhealthy food be more expensive than fruits and vegetables which is not the way it is now most of the time.

[F. Thomas Cain]

This big moose should try getting on the treadmill a little more herself and get her husband to show some discipline and quit smoking, which is a horrible example for her children and the nation!

[Iron Horse Tamer]

Ironic that a government that's been subsidizing the corn industry for years, largely responsible for the obesity of Americans, now wants to tell us how to eat. I guess this in inevitable once we invite government to insert themselves into our healthcare.

[bewolff]

How do you spell hypocrite,,starts with the obamas.

[Sel]

Hahaha! Way to go Andrew! Love the pictures of Obama chowing down as his wife chides us peons for *gasp* eating what we want. I swear, these people have a really troubling totalitarian streak in them. They want to control everything.

November can't get here soon enough. I can't wait to deal a severe blow to this warped ideology.

[RightStuff]

Both Michelle and Barack are loons. Barack will likely have a heart attack by the time he is 55, and Michelle will be over 250 lbs. You can already see how "full" her arms are in the photo in this story.

I always wonder of both Barack and Michelle did drugs as youths. They possess all the personality traits of youthful drug abusers--arrested maturity.

Just thinking about why they act like they do.

[S]

I trust the Federal Government to assess the impact of Salt on an individual's health like I trust them to tell the truth about OTC Derivatives and the Financial Meltdown. There's a HUGE difference is standard salt (which is heated, processed, and robbed of nutrients) and "natural" Sea Salt. Just like all fats or sugars are not the same, all salts are not the same.

[Charles Drumm]

I do not care if the President Smokes. I do not care if Representative Boehner Smokes. People in California are too preoccupied with People who smoke. Your State and a host of other States, should repeal your Smoking Bans, allow owners of Business to determine the level of accommodation for Tobacco Consumers. I am for accommodation for everyone, Not Prohibition. Restaurant Owners should be free to serve whatever they want. They should be allowed to run their Business as they wish. Consumers, are free to take their business where ever they want. This is Freedom of Personal Choice. With our New Health Care Legoslation, I can only see more intrusion in Personal Choices, from the Government.

[Bill]

I sincerely hope no federal taxpayer money is being spent on this. There is no power given to the federal government in the Constitution for anything like this.

If she wants to spend her own time and money going around telling people what they should eat, great, fine. But what are the odds that a whole bunch of federal resources are not being expended on this nonsense.

[TIRED]

What we need is your husband to do his job. When did it come the job of the govt. to tell businesses what they can sell, make, buy? THE REASON WE HAVE SOME FAT KIDS IS DUE TO THEY DO NOT GO OUTSIDE AND DO ANYTHING, THEY STAY INSIDE AND PLAY VIDEO GAMES AND WATCH TV. WE DO NOT NEED YOU TO TELL ANYONE WHAT TO EAT AND HOW TO RAISE A FAMILY. You should stay out of it and deal with your own weight problems.

[MidwestGirl]

Hyprocrites!!!!

[Forest Wilson]

I have an idea, substitute a conservative for a liberal on November 2nd. Problems solved! Why the war on the classes, the food, the free enterprise system, has the government turned on the people? You can take your big booty back to Chicago, if they will have you...if not, there is a mud hut in Kenya with your name on it. Will you be proud of your country then?

[Budzy1911]

I'm sure that while on vacation, old chubby and the Bamster ate only apples in their fancy restaurants in Martha’s Vineyard while they drained the national treasury like some third world potentates.

The last thing America needs is dieting tips from this gelatinous gas bag – seems like every time we see the royal concubine on vacation she has clipped on the feed bag and is shoveling ice cream down her yap hole.

[Kathryn]

This is sooooooo hypocritical...Americans should have the right to eat what they want....I am sure from these pictures the obama's continue to indulge...what is she going to try to abolish next...on that note think i will eat a bag of very salty potato chips!

[Darrell Page]

I had a hard time reading her speech. She spoke to long on her pet peeve. What she really should do is take off her shoes get pregnant and cook in the kitchen for her husband. This woman is injecting herself into my life and personal business.
I suppose that a few restaurants could do as she says and we could watch them close down, because the customer drives American business policy not some idiot in Washington trying to be a dictator.
Obama in a language arts class:
(Teacher) Barry use the word dictate in a sentence.
(Barry) Michelle say my dictate good [sic].

[Otis]

Why is a fat lady telling us what to eat?

[Lanie]

I love the photos you've included along with Mrs. Obama's speech of the President eating all the good food we get in restaurants!

[Kathryn]

How hypocritical...nothing in these pictures show the obama's are following what she is preaching on...we have the right to eat what we want...what are they going to abolish next...on that note think I will indulge in a big bag of salty potato chips!

[martifr]

Why doesn't this woman mind her own business? We are perfectly capable of daily functioning without having some useless government bureaucrat telling us what to eat and how much. We survived for many years without this woman and will survive once she and barry soetero are out.

[Sloaneranger]

Someone please tell Lobster Hips to mind her own business. She tells us how to eat but stuffs herself with lobster, caviar, champagne and ice cream.

[TaxPayer]

She's late because some citizens have already figured this out. A major site I visit often is megaheart.com from there you can find others. This should be a citizen movement, motivated by good health.

[SherryMarion]

Get out of lives.

[surlyguy]

Thank you for delivering us from our ignorance and bestowing upon us such brilliant advancements in food and dining knowledge, oh wise one. We no longer are blind; now we see.
I see that meat lovers pizza that I am going enjoy while watching the game this weekend.

[No BO for me]

Wow, looks like she's been unable to convince BO to change any of his unhealthy habits. She needs to stay out of kitchens, thank you very much. Total case of Pot Meet Kettle perhaps?

[bari]

personally i'm sick of being told what i can and cannot eat. between mayor bloomberg and this woman i'm ready to pull my hair out. i think i can figure out for myself what is or is not healthy. that being said, i will eat what i want when i want and these people can stay out of my life. when are these know-it-all liberal elites going to stfu??????????

[Patrick Hume]

These people cannot be voted out of office fast enough.

If they want my fried chicken, they'll have to pry it from my dead, greasy fingers.

[Todd P.]

Fortunately for America, President Obama and his delusionally self-important wife and administration are going to be deleted from politics SOON!! These world-class hypocrites are Marxists and have NO RIGHT to treat the U.S. citizen as their SLAVES. America is, and will always be, a FREE country (with the Government having to DO THE PEOPLE'S bidding, not the other way around)!!....................

[Kendrick1]

When I was a kid, my Mother spoke three words that helped establish the eating habits I have today. Those were: "Don't eat it!" This was in response to my comment "I don't like that", about the food offered to me. She didn't then ask me what I wanted to eat and then get up from the table and prepare it. I learned to eat what she set before me or do without. And still today, I love and eat every one of the healthy foods she prepared, and I love her for teaching me that lesson. I was also taught that "As the twig is bent so goes the tree"; A stitch in time saves nine"; and, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure";(no metaphor intended.) Education and personal responsibility begin at home. If a child is taught good eating habits they have a better than average chance of continuing those habits throughout his or her life. Let's not blame restaurants and supermarkets for the laziness and sorriness of parents that sit on their fat a.... at home.

[Awkins]

Wow, can I pick this article apart? If only I had the time I would. But I have a job to get back to soon.

Mrs. Obama feels as first lady that she has an obligation to meddle with our lives and freedoms. She wants to control everyones eating habits to be just like hers. She should stop trying to do things for us as her husband is already sweeping through like a hurricane leaving much destruction within its path.

Everything she wants to get rid of or replace in restaurants I like. I will not eat bland food in restaurants. I hate wheat pasta, I hate artifical sweeteners, I like butter, I like salt, I like sugar. I use what I like in moderation and don't have a weight problem. Too bad for those who don't. When you force something on the general population, there are many who do not necessarily deserve it. It you want to change the world, educate the people. If they listen, that's good. If they don't listen, it's their loss. At least then you cared. Isn't that what liberals and democrats are about anyway? That they care but never mind the results? Don't redistribute pain. I am fed up with it.

Restaurants will take a huge loss if Mrs. Obama will get her way and it will not help this already ruined economy.

[Jianka]

Personally, I do not give a d**n what the government thinks I should eat. Is it ever going to stop?

[Step Away From My Salt]

Put my salt shaker down, and step away, Mrs. Obama. Seriously, step away from the salt.

[Devil's Advocate]

M.Y.O.B. First we are forced to deal with a dictatorial president because Barack has daddy issues, and now this. Why do the rest of us have to eat bland foods just because she has issues with her Hillary-sized backside?

[WilliamPenn]

In between vacations, this babe wants to control every aspect of our lives. Eat this, Michelle!

[Mr. Independant]

Don't you see, we here in the Government are only here to help you. We know so much better than you how to raise your children properly. So while my husband, the president, is taking control of what you are allowed to eat using the health care law, I am here to tell you that the next step is to implement the "Food Police". We are "suggesting" to you restaurant owners to change your menus now, "voluntarily", before we are forced to do it for you. But remember, its for the "chiiillldrren".

[Mike]

I love my salt! They may 'want' us to live longer....but they don't want us to LIVE! Why take away the fun!

[jerzgirl]

Since when does the government decide what we eat? Next they will be telling us what soap and dish washing liquid to use. Enough is enough. Michelle please just shut up.
You are like the kettle calling the pot black!

[Steven]

This woman needs to leave us alone. She should have no power over us at all. Her husband is the one we elected no one elected this fat witch... She can't follow her own instructions or set a good example for any of us why should we listen to her trying to boss us around?

[Ghost Rider]

Is anybody taking these Obama clowns seriously anymore!?

[Jerry Pavalon]

Good plan, Michelle, now you and your husband can further wreck the economy by forcing restaurant to make changes you and your family are unwilling to do yourselves.

No sacrifice is to big for anyone but the Obama's.

And in case Michelle Antoinette has no mirrors that show below her waist... starting at the bottom of her rib cage, she looks like a mule. Practice what you preach, honey.

"The first lady doesn't mind ordinary families eating out on special occasions."

Is this MO's words, the writers translation of MO's words, or what (?) because it smacks of total elitism.

"She doesn't mind "ordinary families eating out on special occasions". But special ones, like hers, can eat out on non-special occasions? More importantly, MO needs to understand that America is tired or being talked down to by her and her husband. We have been turning you off for months now.

"But, she claimed, restaurant efforts to reduce calories and fats have been insufficient. And too slow. "We just don't have the time to waste," Mrs. Obama added."

Don't have time to waste? So this is yet another Obama administration emergency requiring emergency legislation?

"As humans, we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods,"

Speak for yourself Michelle, clearly you are eating more calories than your body needs, just look under your ribs. No doubt none of your entourage dare tell the "empress" she is wearing no clothes, but I'll come out and say you look plain "clunky".

"And as people who work to meet those needs, I know it’s tempting to respond by creating products that are sweeter, richer and saltier than ever before. But here’s the catch. See, feeding those cravings doesn't just respond to people’s natural desires, it actually helps shape them. The more of these foods people eat, the more they're accustomed to that taste, and after a while, those unhealthy foods become a permanent part of their eating habits."

As the President and Michelle Obama can personally attest to. So Michelle Antoinette's idea is make food that doesn't taste good???

"She said she understood that healthy meals sell less, which is not a good thing for any business. But she said the problem of obesity is so great, it must be addressed urgently by all means."

No, she doesn't understand. She wants to sack the restaurant business and when it fails they'll blame it on Bush.

We got the fattest poor people in the world...

If you really want to help fat people, how about restricting what people on Food Stamps can buy? Just like WIC. Make them buy raw vegetables, eggs, bags of flour, lean ground beef and not ribs, no prepared foods, no high fat foods, no soda.

But instead of forcing people on the government dole, and thus losing Democrat votes, this loser socialist First Lady would rather attach the people who make the economy work.

[chloe]

mrs. obozo can take her "food" advice and stick it. they both are islamic extremest and need to leave the white house for lieing. oh, wait. that's what islamics do.

[Steve G]

Where is the leadership from the Obama Clan? Every day it is a new round of junk that they just sit in the ivory tower and dish out like a French King and Queen prior to the November revolution! Leadership begins with "I" not the rants of a desk occupier for 6 years in an IVY league wholesale in-doc on social engineering. Obama has no business or leadership role in his resume, it is sitting at a meeting using the terms that we know oh so well now, I, Me and Myself. Issue is straight from the pages of the business section of any newspaper, unemployment is up, personal wealth is down and unemployment benefits have been adjust to form a new class of permanent welfare riders.

[RedTruck]

Presidents should not eat in public. They should know photos are being shot on a continuous basis.