White House Asks Mayors to Help Fight Obesity

(AP)  The Obama administration wants the help of mayors as it works to fight childhood obesity, because such efforts won't work unless communities engage in them, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Friday.

Sebelius and Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes spoke during the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors to promote first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. Sebelius and Dawes encouraged about 400 mayors and municipal staff members to have their cities join a new part of that campaign, dubbed "Let's Move Cities and Towns."

"I know well how critical it is that you are mobilized and energized, because you are the leadership teams that can actually make things happen," Sebelius said.

"We now have, I think, a real opportunity with the spotlight of the first lady on this problem."

Sebelius, a former Kansas governor, said one in three American children are overweight or obese and that number had quadrupled during the past 20 years. She said estimates indicate the U.S. loses $1 trillion a year in productivity because of chronic disease.

Obama's program, launched in February 2009, is aimed at solving the childhood obesity problem in a generation, so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight. It has four components: helping parents make better food choices, serving healthier food in school vending machines and lunch lines, making healthy food more available and affordable, and encouraging children to exercise more.

Sebelius said mayors are in a unique position to encourage communities to become involved in the program.

"We recognize that every community is different and every town requires a distinct approach," Sebelius said, adding that the "Let's Move Cities and Towns" program is designed "to empower local leaders to take steps that will have a real impact on their own unique communities, whether that's building sidewalks and parks, supporting local farmers markets or bringing healthier foods into schools."

Obama addressed the conference by video, saying mayors "know how to develop effective solutions" and can "spur action at the grassroots unlike anyone else."

Before arriving at the conference, Sebelius and Dawes spent time Friday at the Chesapeake Boathouse by the Oklahoma River, watching local youngsters participate in fitness activities. Dawes, who represented the U.S. in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics, said keeping kids active and on a healthy diet is critical to fighting obesity.

"This is near and dear to my heart," said the 33-year-old Dawes, a member of the "Magnificent Seven" in 1996, the first U.S. women's team to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. "Physical fitness and proper nutrition have really been a part of the core of my childhood."

Sebelius praised the citywide weight-loss efforts led by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. As of Friday afternoon, the mayor's campaign, thiscityisgoingonadiet.com, included 42,113 participants who had lost a cumulative 576,437 pounds, an average of about 13.7 pounds per person.

"Where Oklahoma City has succeeded is on the awareness side," Cornett said. "What we've seen here is a community that's finally talking about obesity. It was like the taboo subject in our town. No one wanted to talk about it. We just pretended that if we ignored it, it might go away on its own. But we knew it was an issue."

He signed the pledge for Oklahoma City to join the "Let's Move Cities and Towns" effort while standing at the podium, addressing his fellow mayors.

"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come," Cornett said. "With Washington and the power of the White House and the first lady's office, combined with the passion, the ambitions, the strengths and the budgets of mayors across the United States, we can make a big difference in the obesity issue."

[2grace2]

A few of my friend's are obese because their 'metabolism has changed', because 'they had children' or because 'it is genetic'. I always said, much to their dismay, "I'm FAT because I eat too much." Right now I am 30 lbs lighter because my metabolism changed, I had four children, and my mom was fat, SO I decided I had to change my eating habits because of those things. It worked. Surprisingly I eat the same things, (eg. candy, ice cream, pasta, mashed potatoes) just in smaller quantities. I eat MORE of the things that are low in calories (eg. vegetables).
The big bonus is that I feel 10 years younger! My fat was MY responsibility, not my Mayor's. My children's eating habits were MY responsibily, not my Mayor's.
I have to admit that there was a time when I would have welcomed our lovely First Lady's new program. I gave pause when I sat with a fairly large group of my friends (highly educated) discussing childhood obesity. 14 of the 20 agreed that an obese child was a legitimate reason for charging the parents with abuse. This sent a chill to my bones.

[Quantrill13]

I'm a life long Kansan and she was our Gov., before going to Washington. She was worthless here, and now, even more so in Washington. Is that all she has to do, is pick on fat people? Here in Kansas, as Gov., all she did was attend ribbon cuttings, and go to tea parties.

[spillover]

Ok displeased it's obvious you're not all there. Yes I read the article. I was commenting on your reply to my comment. I will not return to see your reply as I refuse to venture off into la la land.

[displeased]

I refuse to venture off into la la land.
by spillover June 14, 2010 4:26 PM EDT


You should try it sometime. Maybe then you wouldn't be angrily wandering around.

[spillover]

Spending a trillion dollars a year on you fatties is a real issue.

Very mature displeased. I did not include a picture of myself in my post, yet you refer to me as a fattie. This is the problem with libs.
Diarrhea of the mouth with nothing to back it up. My post is about the riciculous intrusion into our lives by the government. Oh and by the way I'm a 5' 11" male and a solid 165 lbs.

[displeased]

Diarrhea of the mouth with nothing to back it up.
by spillover June 14, 2010 2:57 PM EDT

Hey, my claim is just going by what the article said. You did read it, didn't you?

[spillover]

How about this corrupt administration leave us the heck alone and do some real governing. You know like border and national security.

[displeased]

Spending a trillion dollars a year on you fatties is a real issue.

[cleric60]

How does our federally-funded lunches support healthy eating by our students???? I hear they are loaded with unhealthy "fats"?

[formrusmcsgt]

When health insurance premiums are based on wieght, some might lose the lard - until then??????

[cleric60]

Question: Does much of our nation's school lunches come from the federal government's funding??? I have been told that the food is loaded with unhealthy "fats"? True or false?

[stormerF3]

WHy did you not tell Obama this before he appointed the( Fat) Surgeon General? Lets cut the fat in Washington first lets start with the Pay the politicans recieve.

[CZ452]

And the chunky SCOTUS picks to, what kind of example are they to the youth? I love the way they make it sound like with Obama behind it how can it lose. Maybe a lot of the weight lost in Oklahoma was due to the illegals moving away. Michelle people on foodstamps have the ability to eat healty but much like everything else in life you can't make anyone do anything. Is she admitting that local government is better than Federal at actually getting things done? Barack ain't gonna like that to much! She is the new community organizer, watch for her to make a Senate run herself soon and then a run at President. She will have 1st lady experience along with Senator for a few days and then the community organizing for weight lose in children will be the crowning achievement in her lifetime. I wonder will she also tell us how smart she is while sealing all her school records like her old man did? Probably.