Presidential Memorandum — America’s Great Outdoors
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Remarks by the First Lady at California Endowment “Building Healthier Communities” event
2:43 P.M. PDT
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much. It is -- (applause) -- thank you, guys. (Applause.) All right, you all are crazy. (Laughter.)
I am just delighted to be here. I can’t tell you -- as much as I love living in Washington, there is nothing that I love better than getting out of Washington -- (laughter) -- particularly when it means coming to such a beautiful community with such energy and passion. So I am happy to be here.
I want to start by thanking Rosa for her wonderful introduction, for her terrific leadership in community service. We are so very proud of you. Let’s give her a big hand. (Applause.) Thank you, Rosa.
And I just want to also acknowledge a few people, as well. I’m honored to be joined by the Lieutenant Governor -- it’s so good to see you, thank you for your work -- as well as the State Controller. Wonderful to see you. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here.
I know that the mayor had to leave, but I want to thank he and his wife for being here. I know that the one thing I heard over there, when I was touring the plots -- more land! (Applause.) More land. (Applause.) But he’s done a terrific job, and I just want to thank all the city officials here for making this visit wonderful. To all of the elected officials who are here, thank you for your work, your leadership, your energy.
I want to thank Bob Montgomery and Amy Lint from the New Roots Community Farm. Yay! (Applause.) They’re doing a fabulous job, and proud of their work, and full of the kind of energy that you need to get this thing going.
And I want to again acknowledge the 14 community leaders who are here, the Building Healthy Community partners who are representing all segments of this state. Don’t let Dr. Ross use that picture as any kind of leverage. (Laughter.) You get the picture and hassle him when you need to, right? (Laughter.) I know they will.
We are just proud of the work that you’re doing. And I know that everyone could not be here, but I know that you’ll send back my excitement, my gratitude, and just assure them that we’re supporting the work that they’re doing. It is a model for the nation, for the world. So thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
And finally, I want to thank my dear friend, Dr. Bob Ross and -- (applause) -- yes, yes -- (applause) -- as well as all the folks from the California Endowment who have joined us today. Thank you so much. Thank you. We’ve been plotting this for a little bit, right? (Laughter.) He’s been such a wonderful partner.
For more than 30 years, as a pediatrician, a professor, a public health administrator, and an advocate, Dr. Ross has worked tirelessly to give all of our kids the kind of healthy start that they deserve. He has been a tremendous asset not just to the state of California but to this nation.
And no matter how he’s served, Dr. Ross has always had a knack for bringing people together -- that’s been his MO --- hospitals, non-profits, businesses, elected officials, you name it –- bringing people together constantly to tackle some of the toughest public health challenges that we face here in our country.
So I think it’s fitting that we’re all here today and that he’s leading the charge to take on yet another challenge. And it is one, as you know, that I care about deeply not just because I’m the First Lady, but I am a mother of beautiful children. (Applause.) When I look at children, I see my kids. And I know that we have to work now to start to curb the epidemic of childhood obesity in this nation.
We all know that this phenomenon is relatively recent. It is not something that has been a challenge for us all this time. This is a new issue, because as I said time and time again, back when we were growing up, we naturally led reasonably healthy lives. It’s just the way we had to function. It kept us healthier than we could imagine.
Most of us lived in communities and went to schools in our communities, so we walked to school. So if nothing else, you were getting exercise just walking to and from school. Everyone had recess and gym. It was not an option; it was mandatory. No one liked it. Some of us did it, but you had to do it. And that also gave us a sense of movement that we’d lost. And at home, we had some pretty simple rules, particularly at dinner. You ate what was put before you, period. No choices, no options, no discussion. And if you didn't, you just went to bed hungry. (Laughter.) We all know that. My mother pretends like she didn’t apply those rules, but she did. (Laughter.)
And many kids today aren’t so fortunate. For many kids, those walks to school have been replaced by car or bus rides because it’s either not safe or they’re going to schools that are far away. School budget cuts mean the so-called “extras” like P.E. and recess are often the first things that go, meaning that our kids are doing a lot less running around during the day, and they’re living and existing in a more sedentary life. And the truth is, is that parents are busy and struggling and working hard, many of them working multiple jobs. That is just the truth. People are working harder than ever. And oftentimes the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, they keep going up, so many families can’t afford to purchase the foods that they know that they need.
And it is unfair to look to families and tell them to do something better for their children that they can’t afford or don’t have access to. So today, many parents really feel like the deck is stacked against them. They want to do the best for their kids. All of us do -- parents, grandparents, all of us.
But it just seems like the odds are against us. They know their children’s health is their responsibility, but sometimes they feel like the whole issue is just out of their control. They’re trying to do the right thing, but they’re bombarded by contradictory information at every turn –- and they don’t really know who or what to believe. Labels are tough to work through. And sometimes what we prepared when we were young have a different impact physically on our children today.
So that’s why, two months ago, we launched the “Let’s Move!” campaign. (Applause.) And we launched it with the help of so many partners. As you know, this is a nationwide campaign with one single but very ambitious goal, and that's to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that children born today grow up at a healthy weight with a different set of habits and a different set of beliefs about how to live their lives.
As part of this initiative, we’ve issued a call to action to get things going all throughout the nations -- nation.
And we’re working with so many different groups. We’re working with pediatricians, and food manufacturers, with the FDA to give parents the information they need to make healthy decisions for their kids. And we’ve created a Web site, letsmove.gov, to help provide those helpful tips, step-by-step strategies that parents need to get on the right track to eat well and to stay fit.
We’re working to get healthier food into our schools. This is an important initiative. Most of our kids these days are getting a lot of their calories at school, and by strengthening legislation that supports our federal school meal programs, we can go a long way to changing the eating habits of our children. (Applause.)
And we’re also working with several major food suppliers to get them to do their part -- to decrease sugar, fat and salt not just in school meals but in all the foods that we eat, and to increase fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And we’re getting them to think about how they market to our kids, as well.
One important goal in this initiative is we’re working to eliminate “food deserts.” And you all know what “food deserts” are -- communities that don’t have access to any fresh produce or grocery stores. There are so many of them that exist throughout this country. Millions of children are living in “food deserts.” And our goal is to completely eliminate those by bringing grocery stores and farmers markets into underserved areas so that our families have access to the kind of healthy food, the affordable food, that they’re going to need. And there are many examples in communities around this country, showing how they’re bringing these resources back into communities.
And finally we cannot forget the whole key to “Let’s Move,” and that's moving. (Laughter.) We have to get our kids moving again. And we’re revamping the President’s physical fitness challenge. That's coming up. We’re going to be working with professional athletes from dozens of sports leagues to inspire kids to stay physically fit and active. So if you see me hula hooping and jumping around like I’m crazy, I am. (Laughter.) But it’s a lot of fun, and, you know, it just shows that parents taking the lead, doing simple things with their kids, jumping around, dancing, sweating, turning on music, can make a big difference in their lives.
But we’ve also known from the very beginning that the solution to our childhood obesity crisis isn’t going to just come from Washington. I have talked to a lot of experts about this issue, and not a single one of them has said that the answer is to have federal government telling people what to do. That never works.
Instead, as I’ve traveled across this country, one thing that has become very clear is that we already have many of the solutions to childhood obesity right at our fingertips. There are so many communities in this country that are doing some innovative things. And our goal is to find those folks in those communities who are already running some of the most innovative and creative and effective programs out there, and to do our job to highlight those successes and to share those successes so that they become models for the rest of the country and perhaps even the rest of the world.
And that's why just last week we hosted a summit at the White House for members of our childhood obesity task force so that they could gather with experts around the country and get some new ideas from all across the country. We heard from doctors about the role of prenatal care in determining a child’s health. We can’t underestimate that as an important factor.
We heard from teachers about the need for schools and suppliers to think about how the food that’s -- that are served are, again, marketed to kids. That's the key: How are we talking to our children and our parents about healthy eating?
And we also heard from community advocates about the creative ways that our cities and towns are transforming urban environments into oases for growing fresh fruits and vegetables, just like we’re doing here.
That’s why a new foundation, The Partnership for a Healthier America, was created –- to help support these kind of efforts. This foundation is really key to this movement. It’s going to serve as an independent, non-partisan player that’s going to mobilize and continue to coordinate businesses, foundations, state and local governments, community leaders, the media and others to help with the key goals that come out of the task force for “Let’s Move!”
And it’s no surprise that the California Endowment signed right on board to be a beginning player in this foundation. (Applause.) The Partnership is designed to do just what the Endowment has been doing for years, so it makes sense that they’ve been such an important partner. The goal is to address problems at their root and help folks around the country turn good ideas into something bigger. That's what the California Endowment is trying to do. That's the mission of this partnership.
And today, I’m pleased that the California Endowment is once again leading the way with their new plan to create healthier, more active communities all across this state with this fabulous new “Building Healthy Communities” initiative that’s based on a simple idea –- that healthy children come from a place; a place that is a healthy community.
If a family lives in a neighborhood with a grocery store nearby, it is simple -- they’re more likely to put fresh fruits and vegetables on the table because they’ll have access to it. If there’s safe, inviting parks down the street, parents are going to be more likely to let their kids play. They’re going to be more likely to go to that park with them and enjoy being outdoors. And if our environment is clean and pollution-free, children are less likely to get sick, being outside, and they’re more likely to spend time outside. These are not complicated principles.
But this isn’t just about good ideas and good intentions. It’s about serious investments that make a lasting difference for our kids. And that is why the California Endowment is investing $1 billion -– that’s billion with a “b” –- (applause) -- pretty amazing -- in these 14 California communities across this state to support people and programs that will help our kids lead active, healthy lives right from the beginning. So you all have a lot of money. And that's good. (Laughter.) That's really, really good. It’s never enough; it isn’t. And that's the point. Money alone won’t do it. But money is an important first start.
The investments that will be made will go to folks like Dennis and Michelle Mineni. Did I pronounce that right? Are they here? They’re not here. But they run the Merced Flea and Farmers Market. They’ve run it for more than 10 years. And Dennis and Michelle, I understand, are working with the state to ensure that their customers can use food stamps to buy fresh produce at much lower prices than at supermarkets or convenience stores. (Applause.) That's something that we’ve heard throughout this campaign. We have to make sure that everyone has access to farmers markets. This initiative that Michelle and Dennis are promoting is an example of the right thing to do that's already happening.
The Endowment is also investing in people like the students from Chula Vista who realized that the park that they played in growing up was now too dangerous for other kids to use. So what did they do? They worked with local leaders to fix up that park. And now it’s cleaner and busier than ever before, and now they’re ready to move on to the next park. That's what our young people are doing. (Applause.)
The Endowment is also investing in people like the teachers from Willard Intermediary School in Santa Ana who turned the school’s old wood shop into a fitness center and are now working to combine gym class and science classes, which is something that we can do -- exercise and learning, go figure, they go hand in hand -- teaching students about heart rate and exercise science through personalized fitness programs.
And the Endowment is also investing in people like the farmers here today. The stories of these farmers are amazing. A group of refugees from around the world who founded the New Roots Community Farm right here in City Heights, it is just a phenomenal initiative. (Applause.) And what it shows is that although these farmers come from different corners of the globe, they all recognized a common problem right here in America as they have immigrated: that for many refugees like themselves, tight budgets and the lack of supermarkets often meant that folks were skipping fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets and settling for fast food. That’s -- that has been the natural trend -- transition. And that's what’s happened to many of us. And as a result, many recent immigrants were suffering from high cholesterol and high blood pressure, diseases that they were not dealing with before, migrating here.
So the folks here today got to work. They saw this problem, they understood the connection, and they got to work. And after organizing and speaking out and raising money, they broke ground on the garden. And along with other farmers from places like Somalia, and Uganda, and Kenya, and Cambodia, and Vietnam, Mexico and Guatemala, and many, many more places, they have come together. (Applause.)
And at first, they weren’t sure whether people from so many different backgrounds and cultures would get along farming -– especially since the garden only had two hoses, I understand, when it started, to share and the farmers often didn’t speak the same language.
But day by day, and little by little, neighbors started sharing their vegetables. They started exchanging recipes. They started losing weight. And they started recognizing the hopes and dreams they all held in common, just through a plot of land and some vegetables -- these hopes to make a home for themselves here in this country; and to keep their families healthy at the same time; and to give their kids a better life. Simple values. Simple shared values. And together, what they proved is that food is truly the universal language of this planet.
And that’s what “Let’s Move!” and the Building Healthy Communities initiative is really all about. It’s about giving people the tools that they need to make healthy choices for themselves and for their families. It’s about realizing that the best ideas don’t come from Sacramento or Washington, DC, but they come from communities large and small all across this country. And it’s about recognizing the simple truth that giving our children a healthy future starts one person, one family, one community at a time.
You truly are doing extraordinary work. It is a privilege for me to be able to come here with all the press to highlight what is going on in this simple plot of land. This is what we need to be doing in communities all across the country. And the truth is the world is watching these efforts. We’re not alone in these struggles. This is happening. These changes in diets and health are happening in communities across the globe. And through your effort and your leadership, your coordination, your vision, your determination, we’re beginning, step by step, to find the solutions that are going to make sure that all of these kids behind us have the kind of future that we want for them.
So thank you. We’re so proud of you. And it is an honor for me to be here. Thank you so much. And thank you to the Endowment. (Applause.)
END
3:03 P.M. PDT
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Presidential Proclamation– National D.A.R.E. Day
A PROCLAMATION
Every day, young Americans face pressures to engage in violent activities, drug use, and other harmful behavior. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering our children to resist violence and substance abuse.
Drug dependence affects individuals from all backgrounds, and its debilitating effects often go unaddressed. Too many of our families are afflicted by addiction, and too many lives are ruined by its harmful impact. Drug abuse is not an isolated crime, and communities experience the tragic results when drug-related violence and gang activity reach our neighborhoods. It takes parents, guardians, educators, clergy, law enforcement officers, and other mentors to demonstrate that a healthy and drug-free lifestyle can build a strong foundation for future success.
Families must be vigilant in recognizing and addressing the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse. From prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to chemical inhalants, many substances can be harmful if abused, and preventing our children from doing so is vital. I urge friends and loved ones to be role-models and to discuss the consequences of drug use with the young people in their lives.
Community-based prevention and treatment programs can provide young Americans with mentors and reinforce positive behavior. Through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, law enforcement personnel contribute their expertise to help teach America's youth to resist peer pressure, and to abstain from drugs, gangs, and violence. We all have a responsibility to join these professionals in enabling youth to choose alternatives to violence and dangerous behavior and to lead the next generation of Americans toward a brighter future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 8, 2010, as National D.A.R.E. Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
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Presidential Proclamation — National Child Abuse Prevention Month
A PROCLAMATION
Our children are our most valuable resource, and they need our support to thrive and grow into healthy, productive adults. During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we renew our unwavering commitment to protecting children and responding to child abuse, promoting healthy families, and building a brighter future for all Americans.
Every child deserves a nurturing family and a safe environment, free from fear, abuse, and neglect. Tragically, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse threaten too many children every day in communities across our Nation. Parents, guardians, relatives, and neighbors all share a responsibility to prevent these devastating crimes, and our government plays a critical role as well.
My Administration is committed to helping future generations succeed. We are focused on engaging parents in their children's early learning and development, ensuring the safety and well-being of all families, and creating opportunities for all Americans. We are also partnering with Federal, State, and local agencies to better coordinate early childhood services and improve the lives of young children and their families.
Together, we can ensure that every child grows up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment, free from abuse and neglect. I encourage all Americans to visit: www.ChildWelfare.gov/Preventing to learn what they can do to stop child abuse in their communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2010 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month with programs and activities that help prevent child abuse and provide for children's physical, emotional, and developmental needs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
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Remarks by the President at Workplace Flexibility Forum
4:34 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Hello, hello, hello. Thank you, everybody. Please, please, have a seat. First, one caveat -- I will not be good -- as good as Michelle. (Laughter.) So keep your expectations lower.
I want to, first of all, acknowledge John Berry for the extraordinary work he’s doing here and for helping to organize this. Thank you, John. (Applause.)
In addition, we've got -- Secretary Hilda Solis is here from our Department of Labor. (Applause.) Dr. Christina Romer, who’s the chair of our Council of Economic Advisers -- where are you, Christina? Right there. (Applause.) Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls. (Applause.) Ms. Melody Barnes I actually just saw run off to the garden. She was on my list -- the chair of our Domestic Policy Council -- but she’s not here. Karen Mills, who is the administrator for our Small Business Administration. (Applause.) And Ms. Martha Johnson, administrator of the General Services Administration. (Applause.)
So I understand you’ve had a wonderful session. I heard all about it. And I want to thank all of you for joining us today and sharing your thoughts on what we can do -- as business leaders and advocates, as employees and as government officials -- to modernize our workplaces to meet the needs of our workforce and our families.
And all of us here today know just how wide that gap has grown. And we’re all familiar with the economic and demographic changes that have brought us to this point -- how over the past generation or two, as costs have risen and wages have lagged, many families have found they can no longer survive on just one income. And at the same time, we’ve broken down barriers and opened up opportunities, so more women have entered into the workforce, bringing home paychecks that are increasingly critical to supporting families.
Today, two-thirds of American families with kids are headed by two working parents or a single working parent, and the result is the rise of what one expert I know refers to as “the juggler family.” For these families, every day is a high wire act. Everything is scheduled right down to the minute. There’s no room for error. If the car breaks down, or somebody gets sick, or there’s a problem at school, that begins a cascading domino effect that leaves everybody scrambling.
And I have to say that this is something that Michelle and I have struggled with in our own family. As she told you earlier today, it wasn’t that long ago that both of us were working full-time outside the home while raising two young daughters. I was away for days on end for my job, and Michelle was working hard at hers, so a lot of times we felt like we were just barely keeping everything together. When we were at work, we were worrying about what was happening at home. When we were at home, we were worrying about work. We both felt our overloaded schedules were taking a toll on our marriage.
And we had it relatively easy. We could afford good health care. We had a wonderful mother-in-law, grandmother -- (laughter) -- who could help out. We had to ship her in, even in the White House. (Laughter.) We both had jobs where we could rework our schedules in an emergency without risking being fired or having our paychecks docked.
Now, most folks just aren’t that lucky -- particularly in today’s economy when many people aren’t just working one job but are having to work two or three to get by, or they’re working longer hours, or they’re out of a job and they can’t afford to be choosy about things like flexibility and benefits.
And this disconnect between the needs of our families and the demands of our workplace also reflects a broader problem, that today, we as a society still see workplace flexibility policies as a special perk for women rather than a critical part of a workplace that can help all of us. There’s still this perception out there that an employee who needs some time to tend to an aging parent or attend to a parent-teacher’s conference isn’t fully committed to his or her job; or that if you make a workplace more flexible, it necessarily will be less profitable.
Now, it’s true that women are still disproportionately affected by this issue -- something Michelle always reminds me of -- (laughter) -- which is another reason why it’s such great concern for me. But plenty of fathers out there wish they had more time to spend with their kids. Plenty of sons wish they could do more for their elderly parents. Plenty of workers -- both women and men -- wish they could go back to school so they can beef up their skills and advance their careers. And there are plenty of communities that desperately need the new jobs we can create when we embrace teleworking and mobile workplaces.
And as for how this issue affects companies’ bottom lines, a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers that we’re releasing today found that companies with flexible work arrangements can actually have lower turnover and absenteeism, and higher productivity, and healthier workers.
So let’s be clear: Workplace flexibility isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s an issue that affects the well-being of our families and the success of our businesses. It affects the strength of our economy -- whether we’ll create the workplaces and jobs of the future we need to compete in today’s global economy.
And ultimately, it reflects our priorities as a society -- our belief that no matter what each of us does for a living, caring for our loved ones and raising the next generation is the single most important job that we have. I think it’s time we started making that job a little easier for folks.
Many of you here represent companies and workplaces that are already doing just that -- embracing telecommuting, flextime, compressed work weeks, job sharing, flexible start and end times, and helping your employees generally find quality childcare and eldercare. And if you’re doing this not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because you’ve found that what’s good for your workers and is good for your families can be good for your bottom lines and your shareholders as well, then you need to spread the word.
My administration is committed to supporting efforts like these. Our budget for next year includes competitive grants to help states launch their own paid-leave programs. It increases funding for childcare and nearly doubles the Child Care Tax Credit for millions of middle-class families. And it provides support for folks caring for aging relatives, and for seniors who want to live independently for as long as possible.
We’re also committed to practicing what we preach and serving as a model for the policies that we’re encouraging. John has been all over this. That’s the purpose of the pilot project that John just told you about.
And that’s why John is working with our Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, to provide opportunities for federal employees -- here in Washington, but also all across America -- to telework on a regular basis. Where regulations are in the way, we’ll see what we can do to change them. Where new technology can help, we’ll find a secure, cost-effective way to install it. Where training is needed to help managers and workers embrace this approach, we’ll adopt the best practices from the private sector.
Because in the end, we believe that all of this isn’t just about providing a better work experience for our employees, it’s about providing better, more efficient service for the American people -- even in the face of snowstorms and other crises that keep folks from getting to the office. (Laughter.) I do not want to see the government close because of snow again. (Laughter.)
It’s about attracting and retaining top talent in the federal workforce and empowering them to do their jobs, and judging their success by the results that they get -- not by how many meetings they attend, or how much face-time they log, or how many hours are spent on airplanes. It’s about creating a culture where, as Martha Johnson puts it, “Work is what you do, not where you are.”
And in these efforts, we’ll be looking to all of you for advice and ideas. And we plan to continue this conversation in the coming months, holding forums and roundtables in communities across the country, so we can seek out more good ideas and best practices that we can adopt and promote.
So, again, I thank you for being part of this forum. I look forward to hearing about what you all came up with today. And I look forward to working with all of you in the years to come.
Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)
END
4:44 P.M. EDT
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President and First Lady Host White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility
Small Business Owners, Workers, Business and Labor Leaders, and Experts Join Administration Officials to Discuss Workplace Practices for a Changing American Workforce
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls are hosting the White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility to discuss the importance of creating workplace practices that allow America’s working men and women to meet the demands of their jobs without sacrificing the needs of their families.
Small business owners, business leaders, policy experts, workers and labor leaders are joining with senior administration officials today to share their ideas and strategies for making the workplace more flexible for American workers and families. The opening and closing sessions, as well as five breakout sessions focused on best practices and benefits for the American workplace and workforce, are streaming live on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live. In addition, much of the event is streaming on Facebook and Ustream, and the White House will include comments taken through these social networks in the feedback collected through the forum.
In conjunction with the forum, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers is releasing a report presenting an economic perspective on flexible workplace policies and practices. The report documents some of the changes in the U.S. workforce which have increased the need for flexibility in the workplace, including the increased number of women entering the labor force, the prevalence of families where all adults work, increasing eldercare responsibilities, and the rising importance of continuing education. It then examines the current state of flexible work arrangements and discusses the economic benefits of workplace flexibility - such as reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, improved health of workers, and increased productivity. The analysis is available online here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/100331-cea-economics-workplace-flexibility.pdf.
"Workplace flexibility isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s an issue that affects the well-being of our families and the success of our businesses," said President Obama. "It affects the strength of our economy – whether we’ll create the workplaces and jobs of the future that we need to compete in today’s global economy."
“Flexible policies actually make employees more – not less – productive,” said Mrs. Obama. “Instead of spending time worrying about what’s happening at home, employees have the support and the peace of mind they need to concentrate at work which is good for their families – and the bottom line.”
The Office of Personnel Management is also announcing a pilot program to incorporate flexibility in the government to provide better, more efficient service for the American people – even in the face of snow storms and other emergencies. The pilot program will build on the cost savings telework provided during last winter's snow storms and expand opportunities for federal employees, here in Washington and across America, to telework on a regular basis.
"Employers, including the federal government, will have to implement flexible work policies if they want to attract the best and the brightest," said Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls. " The President is committed to making sure that the federal government can compete for talent because he knows that good people produce better work, which in turn, leads to better service for the American people."
Shortly after taking office, the President signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is delivering relief to working families across the country, including tax credits and child care assistance for working families.
The President’s Budget for FY2011 builds on those initiatives with a series of investments to support caregivers for elderly relatives or family members with disabilities, to help families afford the cost of quality child care, to aid states wishing to establish paid leave funds, and to build the knowledge base about work-family policies.
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White House Announces Forum on Workplace Flexibility
WASHINGTON, DC – The Obama Administration announced plans today to hold a Forum on Workplace Flexibility on March 31st at the White House. The President and First Lady will discuss the importance of creating workplace practices that allow America’s working men and women to meet the demands of their jobs without sacrificing the needs of their families. The forum will be an opportunity for labor leaders, CEOs, small business owners, and policy experts to share their ideas and strategies for making the workplace more flexible for American workers and families.
“Millions of women and men across the country struggle to balance the demands of their jobs and the needs of their families. Too often, caring for a child or an aging parent can strain a career-- sometimes to the point of job loss,” said President Obama. “As the parents of two young girls, Michelle and I understand the challenges America’s working families face and we are looking forward to hearing from moms, dads, business leaders, advocates and experts about their ideas for creating and encouraging flexible workplaces, so that working Americans do not have to choose between their careers and meeting the needs of their families.”
Press coverage and additional details for the Forum on Workplace Flexibility will be announced in the coming days.
Categories: Family, Office of the Press Secretary, Statements and Releases Tags:
Presidential Proclamation — National Poison Prevention Week
A PROCLAMATION
Since 1962, during National Poison Prevention Week we alert American families about the dangers of accidental poisonings and provide information on safety measures that can prevent senseless injuries and deaths. With nearly two million poison exposures reported each year, we must take every precaution to guard against these preventable tragedies.
Sadly, more than half of all reported poisonings involve children under the age of six, and the vast majority take place in the home. Parents should keep household chemicals and medicines in child-proof containers, beyond the reach of their children. Thanks to safety regulations and awareness campaigns like National Poison Prevention Week, childhood death rates from unintentional poisonings have fallen considerably. However, adult death rates have steadily risen in recent years.
We must each remember to read labels thoroughly before taking medications, to keep medicines in their original packaging, and to dispose of them properly. Consulting a physician before combining prescription drugs or using them with alcohol also reduces our risks.
In the event of an accidental poisoning, crucial information and immediate action can save lives. Individuals can call the toll-free national poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 to be connected to one of dozens of local poison control centers, which are open 24 hours every day. These centers provide emergency assistance, offer guidance on poison prevention, and answer questions concerning potential exposure.
To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take appropriate preventive measures, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March each year as "National Poison Prevention Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the third week of March of each year as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by taking actions to protect their families from hazardous household materials and from the misuse of prescription medications.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
Categories: Family, Office of the Press Secretary, Proclamations, The President Tags:
Remarks by the First Lady at the School Nutrition Association Conference
2:05 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thanks so much, everyone. Please, sit. (Applause.) Thank you. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you. Thanks so much for that warm welcome.
And I also want to thank Dora for that kind introduction and for your outstanding leadership of the School Nutrition Association.
And I want to thank all of you here today for the terrific work that you're doing every day all across this country.
And I know that you always don't get a lot of credit and recognition for what you do -- and you deserve it. You know, there are not a lot of newspaper headlines about how the meals you serve are the only food that many kids may get all day long. People on TV don't talk much about how kids who participate in the school meal program perform better in class and they miss fewer days of school. And a lot of folks still don't understand how the cafeteria is actually one of the most important classrooms in the entire school -- (applause) -- because what you all know is that our kids don't stop learning at lunchtime.
Every day, with the food you serve, you're teaching them these critical lessons about nutrition and healthy eating. You're shaping their habits and their preferences, and you're affecting the choices that they're going to make for the rest of their lives.
So now just multiply that by the 31 million kids in the school meal program, and it's clear that all of you don't just shape the future of individual students; you help to shape the future of this country.
And that's been the case since the National School Lunch Program was first started by President Truman after World War II, back when one of the most common disqualifiers for military service was malnourishment, if you can believe that.
And that's why President Johnson later in 1966 expanded the program to include school breakfasts and meals at preschools because, as he put it, he said that "good nutrition is essential to good learning."
So whether it's national security, education or child hunger, for decades we've looked to you for help in achieving our most urgent national priorities.
And that's really why I'm here today -– because once again today we're going to need your help with a crisis that we face in our own time: and that's the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today.
And you all know the statistics –- how nearly one in three kids in this country is overweight or obese. And you all see the impact on the kids that you work with. You see firsthand kids who are struggling to keep up with their classmates, or worse yet they're stuck on the sidelines because they can't participate. You see how kids are teased or bullied. You see kids who physically don't feel good, and they don't feel good about themselves. You see kids who are at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, and cancer, and heart disease -– conditions that cost billions of dollars a year to treat.
And by the way, today, one of the most common disqualifiers for military service is actually obesity.
Now, those of you who've been in this business a while, you know that this wasn't always the case. Things weren't always this way. I know you may remember a time when kids in your schools led lives that kept most of them at a healthy weight. They walked to and from school, they ran around during recess and gym class, and they played outside for hours after school. Many could -- kids ate home-cooked meals, and many had actually seen fruits and vegetables before you served them to them -- (laughter) -- so they didn't look at them like foreign objects when they got them at school. (Laughter.) Fast food, soda and candy were special treats; they weren't part of every meal. And at lunchtime, in many schools, kids just had two choices: either what you served them, or what their mom or dad packed at home, whether they liked it or not.
But over the past few decades, we've seen these healthy habits falling away, replaced by habits of convenience and necessity. You know, parents want to buy healthy food for their kids, but they're sometimes tight on money and can't afford it. Or they're tight on time because they're juggling extra jobs, extra shifts, and they just can't swing those home-cooked meals anymore. Those walks to school have been replaced with buses or car rides. And as you know, gym class and school sports have been cut in so many places, replaced by afternoons with the TV, video games, and the Internet.
And those two reasonably healthy choices at lunchtime, they've become dozens of choices –- some healthy and some not. That occurs as schools struggle to get the revenue that they need. From fast food, to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices every day. And it's no surprise that they don't always pick the healthy ones.
And by now, I think it's clear that between the pressures of today's economy and the breakneck pace of modern life, the well-being of our kids has too often gotten lost in the shuffle.
But we have to be honest: Our kids didn't do this to themselves. You see, our kids don't decide what to serve -- or what is sold at lunch. Our kids don't decide whether there's time for recess and gym. They don't decide whether they'll learn about healthy eating or nutrition at school. They don't make these decisions.
We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And even if it doesn't always feel like it, we are the ones in charge. But that's the good news -- because if we make the decisions, then we can decide to solve this problem.
And that's precisely what many of you are already doing right now in schools all across this country.
Anji Baumann, the Child Nutrition Director for Gooding, Idaho, she has local farmers grow fresh fruits and vegetables specifically for her school district. And I hear her staff makes many foods from scratch –- including spaghetti and baked goods. In fact, they even came up with a recipe that uses pureed beans as a substitute for some of the oil in chocolate cake –- and it was so tasty that none of the students even noticed.
In Binghamton, New York, I hear they held a health fair to celebrate when six of the city's seven elementary schools reached Gold status in the Healthier US School Challenge. Wonderful. (Applause.) And they celebrated with kids proudly displaying the school -- their nutrition projects. And the whole community got involved -- the local hospital, Boys and Girls Clubs, the USDA office, and others -- they all sponsored booths with information on healthy living.
And in Jackson, Mississippi, thanks to the encouragement of the Executive Director of Food Services, Mary Hill, the superintendent now requires elementary school teachers to eat meals with their students. (Applause.) And as you can imagine, with teachers sitting at the table -– both encouraging kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and eating them themselves –- fruit and vegetable consumption has gone up there.
And I'm going to be visiting Jackson on Wednesday, and I am looking forward -- (applause) -- I'm looking forward to seeing Mary and hearing more about what she's doing. And I'm hoping to come to your areas, too.
Every day, in communities across this country, you all are proving that if we're creative and resourceful, if we meet this challenge with determination and commitment, then we can take back control; and we can turn back the tide; and we can give our kids the lives that we know they deserve.
That's why earlier this month we launched Let's Move. It's a nationwide campaign to help our kids lead active, healthy lives right from the beginning.
And we've issued a call to action. We are telling people, let's get going, let's move to help families and communities make healthier decisions -- uh oh -- (laughter) -- not meaning to call you out or anything -- (laughter) - but leave it to the press, they're just -- (laughter.) We have to move to help parents make healthier choices for their kids. And we have to move to get the community together -- governors, mayors, doctors, nurses, everyone -- to tackle this challenge once and for all.
And we have to move. Let's move to rally this country around a single, ambitious goal -- and that is to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that kids born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight. (Applause.)
And we've already created the first ever government-wide task force on childhood obesity. It's composed of Cabinet secretaries and senior administration officials. And over the next 90 days, they're working fast and furious. They're going to review every government program relating to child nutrition and fitness. And they'll develop a national action plan to not just maximize those resources, but make recommendations that the public and private sectors can take to move this ahead. They'll also lay out concrete benchmarks to measure our success and to hold us all accountable for meeting our goal.
But we are not going to wait for 90 days to get to work here. We've already gotten started on a series of wonderful initiatives to achieve our goal.
The first: Let's move to offer parents the tools and information they need to make healthy choices for their kids.
You know, so many parents, they want to do the right thing, but they're bombarded with all this conflicting information, and they don't know who or what to believe or where to start. So we've started a Web site –- letsmove.gov -– that's going to provide helpful tips and step-by-step strategies for parents.
In addition, we're working with our doctors, encouraging pediatricians and family doctors to screen kids for obesity and actually work with parents to write out a prescription for the steps they can take to address the problem.
We're also working with the FDA and the food industry to make our food labels more customer-friendly so parents won't have to spend hours squinting at words that they can't pronounce to figure out whether the foods that they're buying are healthy or not.
And that brings me to the second part of this initiative: Let's move to ensure that all our families actually have access to the foods -- the healthy foods that they need in their own communities, because right now, 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in what we call food deserts, and these are areas without access to a supermarket. And as a result, what happens in those communities is that families wind up buying their groceries at a local gas station or a convenience store, places that offer few, if any, healthy options.
So we've set an ambitious goal in this area: to eliminate food deserts in America within seven years. (Applause.) And to achieve this goal, we've created a Healthy Food Financing Initiative that's going to invest $400 million a year –- and leverage hundreds of millions more from the private sector -– to bring grocery stores to underserved areas and to help places like convenience stores carry healthier food options.
But we know that healthy eating is only half the battle. Experts recommend at least 60 minutes of daily activity. But we all know that many kids don't even come close to that. So let's move –- and I say that and mean that literally. We have to move to find new ways for our kids to be physically active. And that's the third piece of this initiative.
Our work here includes expanding and modernizing the President's Physical Fitness Challenge. And we've recruited professional athletes from dozens of different sports leagues –- like the NFL, Major League Baseball, the WNBA, and many, many more –- and they're going to work with us to encourage kids to get and stay active.
But here's the thing: We can help kids eat better at home, and we can help them be more active both in and out of school, but the fact remains that kids who participate in school meal programs get roughly half of their calories each day at school. So that means that all of you have as much influence on what our kids eat each day as their parents do.
And think about that for a minute. This is an extraordinary responsibility. But it's also an opportunity. And it's why one of the single most important things we can do to fight childhood obesity is to make those meals at school as healthy and nutritious as possible.
So let's move to help all of you get healthier food into our school. That's the fourth and final part of the initiative.
And we're going to start by working to dramatically increase the number of schools that meet the Healthier US School challenge. Those are schools that provide healthy meals, offer physical education and nutrition education, and ensure that children receive the free and reduced price meals that they're eligible for. These schools that meet the standard, they are the gold standard. They're the model of what we want for every school in America.
Now, I know that it's not going to be easy to meet this challenge, because I know the kind of constraints that all of you are under in this era of budget cuts when you're constantly pushed to do more with less. And I think that if the average person -- if you asked the average person to do what you have to do every day, and that is to prepare a meal for hundreds of hungry kids with just $2.68 a child -– with only $1.00 to $1.25 of that money going to the food itself –- they would look at you like you were crazy. (Laughter and applause.) That's sad, but that's less than what many folks spend on a cup of coffee in the morning. So we're going to have to do everything we can to help you.
Right now, we're hard at work updating and strengthening the Child Nutrition Act to give you more of the resources that you need to do your jobs. And Secretary Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, is taking the lead. He's doing a wonderful job. And we've proposed a historic new investment of an additional $10 billion over the next 10 years.
And I'm pleased that just last week, 66 retired generals, admirals, and other senior military leaders -– including two former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -– sent a letter to Congress in support of these efforts. And that's amazing. (Applause.)
Our goals here are very simple: We want to get rid of the unnecessary paperwork that keeps so many eligible kids from participating in the school meal programs –- (applause) -- and if we can do that, we can increase enrollment in the school breakfast program so that we can serve an additional 1 million kids in the first five years alone. (Applause.)
But we also want to improve the quality of food in our schools, increasing reimbursements so that you can add more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and decrease sugar, fat and salt.
We also want to get healthier food into those vending machines too –- which, by the way, has actually meant increased revenues for schools in Kentucky and Maine and elsewhere.
We also want to help you purchase the equipment that you need so that you can start phasing out those fryers and phasing in new ovens and salad bars and serving lines. (Applause.)
And we want you all to have better training and professional development opportunities so that you know all of the latest research and the best techniques.
Now, all of this is going to help. But while we can pass better legislation and invest more money, at the end of the day, when it comes to making a school a healthy school, you all know that you're where the rubber meets the road, because you know better than anyone what our kids will eat and what they'll throw away. You know what it takes to make them finally –- if even only reluctantly -– try something new. And the training and mentoring that you provide, the contracts you negotiate, the decisions that you make about what to serve –- that's what really matters here. That's what really makes the difference.
So let me tell you I am just thrilled that you all have agreed to work with us to meet the goals of Let's Move, because we're going to need everything that you've got. We're going to need your best initiatives. We're going to need your ideas, both big and small, because in fact, as you know, it's often the small things that make the difference here.
For example, switching from 2 percent to 1 percent milk, that could mean 20 fewer calories. Switching from fruit served in heavy syrup to fruit served in light syrup or juice could mean another 13 calories. Substituting low-fat or non-fat salad dressing could be nearly 50 more calories. And little changes that cut 20 calories here, 30 calories there –- all of that can add up to the hundreds of calories a week for kids. And over the course of a year, for some kids, that can mean the difference between being at a healthy weight or not.
But fighting childhood obesity isn't just about the food you serve in your lunchrooms. It's about the leadership you show in your schools and in your communities. It's about your work as advocates and educators in your own right.
It could mean reaching out to parents -– posting school menus online, or providing family-sized recipes, so that they can try the foods you serve at home. It could mean working with kids, having them do taste tests, or forming a student nutrition group to advise you on what to do for them. It could mean working with teachers and giving them healthy eating tips that they can share with their students. Or educating administrators about the value of programs like the Healthier US Schools program.
And it always means, as you know, reaching out to the community at large –- partnering with local farmers and food suppliers to get better food and better deals; speaking to community groups like the PTA or the Chamber of Commerce about the work that you're doing and what they can do to help you.
But let's be clear: This isn't your responsibility alone. We all have a role to play here, and the only way we're going to solve this problem is by working together, because you all can give our kids the healthiest school meals imaginable, but if there's no supermarket in their community and they're eating unhealthy food at home, then they still won't have a healthy diet.
And we can build all the shiny new supermarkets on every block in this country, but if parents don't have the information they need, they'll still struggle to make healthy choices for their kids. And then if kids aren't active, then no matter how well we feed them, they still won't be leading healthy lives.
That's why I've met with so many people over the course of the past few weeks -- with mayors and governors -- asking them to do their part to build healthier cities and states.
That's why I've met with parents, asking them to do their part to make healthier choices for their families.
That's why I'll be meeting with the food manufacturers in the Grocery Manufacturers Association, calling on them to offer healthier options.
And that's why we need more folks from the private sector to step up: from school food suppliers improving the quality of their food, to retailers understanding that what's good for kids and families can actually be good business, too.
And that's why I'm here with all of you, because you all have a vitally important role to play in this effort.
See, I think President Truman put it best -- I've said this before -- nearly 65 years ago in a statement to the first national conference of state school lunch officials that read, and this is a quote, he said to them, "To you who carry out the program locally falls the crucial job of seeing to it that we build well for the future." That we build well for the future.
And in the end, that's what this is all about –- ensuring that we build well for the future. Ensuring that our kids are ready to learn, that they're ready to serve their country, that they're ready to make healthy decisions for the rest of their lives. It's about ensuring that our kids have the energy and the endurance to succeed in school, to pursue the careers of their dream, and believe it or not, to keep up with their own kids, if they're blessed, and to live to see their grandkids grow up, and if they're lucky, maybe even their great grandkids too. That's why we're doing this.
So let's act. Let's move. And let's do everything that we can to give our kids the future that we want for them and we know they deserve. (Applause.) So I thank you all for your work and for your continued success. We are so very proud of you. Thank you all. Thanks so much. (Applause.)
END
2:29 P.M. EST
Categories: Family, Healthy Kids, Office of the First Lady, Speeches and Remarks, The First Lady Tags:
Remarks by The First Lady to the National Governors Association
JW Marriott
Washington, D.C.
11:09 A.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you all so much. Thank you. It is a pleasure for me to be here with all of you today and to welcome you all to Washington.
Thank you, Governor Douglas, for that very kind introduction. And thanks to you and Governor Manchin for your leadership in Vermont as well as [West] Virginia, and as the Chair and the Vice Chair of the NGA.
And I also want to recognize all the governors who are here today and to thank you for your outstanding leadership and the dedicated service that you provide to states all across this country. We are grateful to you.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't thank all the spouses who are here for all the things you have to put up with. (Laughter.) The long hours, absolutely. (Applause.) You all are making the same kind of sacrifices, putting up with long hours and late-night crises. And all I can say is, been there, done that. (Laughter.) And I know how you feel, and we are just grateful to have you all. And again, we'll give them another round of applause. (Applause.)
Now, I know that the focus of this year's meeting is the issue of health care. And over the next few days, you're going to be talking about spiraling costs that are straining your budgets and running up all of our deficits -- costs like the nearly $150 billion a year that we spend on obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. You're going to talk about the staggering Medicaid burdens -- and how premiums have risen three times faster than wages, often bankrupting families in your states, sinking businesses in states all across this country.
But we all know that there's another set of statistics that have to be a part of this discussion -- like how nearly one in three of our children in this country is now overweight or obese. Like how one in three kids today will eventually develop diabetes -- and in the African American and Hispanic communities, the number is nearly half. Because if we think our health care costs are high now, just wait until 10 years from now. Think about the many billions we're going to be spending then. Think about how high those premiums are going to be when our kids are old enough to have families of their own and businesses of their own.
So we all know that we can't solve our health care problems unless we address our childhood obesity problem, too. And that's really why I'm here today: to talk about the issue of childhood obesity that is so important to me and what our states and our nations can do to solve it.
But we have to begin by understanding how we got here, what's caused this crisis in the first place. And I have my theories, but when you all think about it, this is a relatively new phenomenon. This wasn't something that we were dealing with when I was growing up. Back when we were all growing up, most of us led lives that naturally kept us at a healthy weight. We walked to school and we walked home, because we usually lived in communities where our schools were close. All of us ran around all day at school, doing recess and gym because everybody had to do it. And then when we got home, we'd be sent right back outside and told not to come back home until dinner was served. (Laughter.) You know your parents didn't let you in the house.
And back then we ate sensibly. We had many more home-cooked meals. That was the norm. And much to our dismay at the time, there was always something green on the plate. (Laughter.) Fast food and dessert was a special treat. You had it but you didn't have it every day, and the portion sizes were reasonable. In my family I remember a couple of pints of ice cream -- this was a big treat -- we'd get three pints of ice cream for a family of four and that would last us a week, because you wouldn't eat a pint, you'd get a scoop, and that would be it. You'd savor that a spoonful at a time.
And these weren't arbitrary rules that our parents just made up. As we know now, it was a way of life they imposed to help keep us active and healthy. They knew back then that kids couldn't and shouldn't sit still for hours. They knew that kids needed to run around and play. They knew that keeping us healthy wasn't about saying no to everything, but it was about balance and moderation. We all had our share of burgers and fries and ice cream growing up. We just didn't have it every day, and not at every meal.
But somewhere along the line, we kind of lost that sense of perspective and moderation. And we all want the very best for our kids just like our parents wanted for us. But with the pressures of today's economy, and the breakneck pace of modern life, many parents feel like the deck is stacked against them.
They want to prepare healthy foods for their kids, but a lot of times they're tight on money and they just can't afford these meals. Or oftentimes they're tight on time because they're juggling longer hours at work and many of them juggling multiple jobs. So they just can't swing coming home and making a home-cooked meal around the dinner table. It's hard.
They want their kids to be active, but sometimes they live in communities where either it's not practical to walk to school or, worse yet, it's not safe. Or they live in communities where gym classes and school sports are considered luxuries and not necessities -- the first things to go in a budget crunch. And those afternoons playing outside, they've been replaced by afternoons sitting inside in front of the TV or video games or the Internet. And as a result, many parents feel like they've lost that sense of being in charge that their parents had.
But we have to be honest with ourselves: Our kids didn't do this to themselves. Our kids didn't decide whether there's time for recess or gym class, or our kids don't decide what's served to them in the school cafeteria. Our kids don't decide whether to build playgrounds and parks in their neighborhoods or whether to bring supermarkets and farmer's markets to their communities. We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And even if it doesn't feel like we're in charge, we are.
But that's the good news. Because if we make these decisions here, then we can decide to solve this problem. And that's precisely what so many of you are doing right now in your states. You're experimenting and innovating. Many of you are ignoring the naysayers and the old partisan divides, and focusing solely on what works.
In Pennsylvania, for example, folks started a Fresh Food Financing Initiative to bring grocery stores to underserved areas. And I got to visit one of those communities yesterday when I spent some time with Governor Rendell in Philadelphia. In that community they started with $30 million, and then they leveraged that for an additional $190 million from the private and non-profit sectors. And with that money they've funded 83 supermarket projects in 34 counties that are making profits, and they're projected to create more than 5,000 jobs.
In North Carolina, they've launched a full-scale effort to help kids eat healthier and to exercise more. They've banned snack and soda vending machines from elementary schools. They've given grants to cities and to counties for things like sidewalks and trails and community gardens. And they've trained 41,000 teachers across the state on how to incorporate physical activity into the classroom.
And Arkansas started on the issue of childhood obesity way back in 2003 -- something former Governor Huckabee and I discussed yesterday when I appeared on his TV show. They screened students' BMIs, which was controversial. They got healthier food into their schools and required regular physical education classes. And as a result, that state was able to halt the rise of childhood obesity completely.
What you all are doing is proof that if we are creative and committed enough, if we meet this challenge with the kind of energy and determination that it requires, then we can take back control and we can turn back the tide and we can give our kids the kind of lives they deserve.
And that's why last week we launched this wonderful initiative called "Let's Move." It's a nationwide campaign to rally this country around a single ambitious goal, and that is to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that the kids born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
So we've issued a call to action. We've said, let's move. Let's move to help families and communities make healthier decisions for their kids. And let's move to bring together governors and mayors and doctors, nurses, our business leaders, non-profit community, our educators, our athletes, our parents to tackle this challenge once and for all. Because it's going to take every last one of us -- particularly folks in the private sector, from the food industry offering healthier options to retailers who understand that what's good for kids and families can actually be good for businesses, too.
That's why, over the next 90 days, the first ever government-wide task force, which includes members of our Cabinet, will develop a national action plan. And they won't just review every government program relating to child nutrition and physical activity and advise us on how to marshal those resources. But they're also going to develop benchmarks to measure our progress, and recommend actions that can be taken by the private and the non-profit sectors.
But we cannot wait 90 days to get to work here. So we've already gotten started on a series of initiatives to achieve our goal.
There are four key pillars. The first: Let's move to offer parents the tools and information they need and that many have been asking for to make healthier choices for their kids. So many parents want to do the right thing, but they are bombarded by conflicting information, and they don't know what to believe or where to start. That's why many of you have been running public education campaigns and creating healthy-living Web sites. And California is leading the way, becoming the first state in the country to require restaurant chains of a certain size to post calorie information on menus and menu boards -- just one part of an aggressive, anti-obesity strategy that's making a difference across that state. And the health care legislation in Congress follows their lead. It includes a similar provision to help parents make informed decisions.
Let's Move is going to add to these efforts. We've started with a Web site, called letsmove.gov, that's going to have helpful tips and step-by-step strategies for parents. We're also working with pediatricians and family doctors to encourage them to screen kids for obesity early, and then actually write out a prescription for parents with action steps that they can take to address it so they don't feel like they're dealing with this problem alone.
And we've been working with the FDA and the food industry to make our food labels more customer-friendly, so that people don't spend hours squinting at words they can't pronounce to know if the foods they're buying are healthy. In fact, the nation's beverage companies, the largest, just announced that they're going to be providing clearly visible information about calories on the front of their products and on their vending machines and soda fountains. And this is a step in the right direction. It's an important step, but it's still only one step. And we have so many more ahead.
We can't forget, for example, that 31 million of our children participate in federal school meal programs. So we don't want to be in the position where we take one step forward with parents making good decisions, but then we take two steps back when lunch time rolls around at school and kids are faced with poor choices in the school cafeteria.
So let's move to get healthier food into our nation's schools, and that's the second part of this initiative. There's a reason why our governors are such passionate advocates for our school meal programs. It's because you all know the impact that these programs have. You know that when kids get the nutrition they need, they perform better in the classroom and they miss fewer days of school. So let's multiply that by 31 million, and we are talking about a serious impact on education in this country.
That's why we've set a goal of doubling the number of schools in the HealthierUS School Challenge. And we've already gotten several major food suppliers to commit to offering healthier school meals.
We're also updating and strengthening the Child Nutrition Act. Secretary Vilsack is taking the lead on these efforts, and we plan to invest an additional $10 billion over 10 years to fund that legislation. This will allow us to serve 1 million more kids in the first five years, and dramatically improve the quality of food in our schools -- decreasing sugar, fat, and salt; and increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
But our success here is up to you. It's up to you to get that -- get the most out of these new investments. And maybe that means demanding more from your suppliers in your state, or maybe renegotiating your contracts to include healthier options. Maybe it means starting a farm-to-school program or insisting on healthier options in school vending machines, which, by the way, has actually meant increased revenues in schools in Kentucky and Maine and elsewhere.
But while school meals provide critical nutrition for millions of kids, we also can't forget that kids get plenty of their calories at home, right in their own neighborhoods. And many of our kids live in what we call "food deserts," and these are areas without access to a grocery store. Imagine that, living in a community without a grocery store. So too many of those calories at home come from fast food or processed foods from the local gas station or convenience store.
So that's why the third component of "Let's Move" is, let's move to ensure that all our families have access to healthy, affordable food in their communities. Right now there are food deserts in every single state in this country, so we've set an ambitious goal, and that is to eliminate every last one of those food deserts within seven years.
And to achieve this, we've created the Healthy Food Financing Initiative that is modeled on what was so successful in Pennsylvania. We'll start with an initial investment of $400 million a year. And we'll use that to leverage hundreds of millions more from the private and non-profit sectors to bring grocery stores to underserved areas across the country.
And once again, our success here is going to depend so much on what you do. We need you to encourage communities to apply for these grants, and provide the right incentives -- from helpful zoning laws, to remapped transit routes that help shoppers access stores, to job training to entice grocers with a well-prepared workforce.
But we know that eating right is only part of the battle. We all know that in our own lives. We know that physical activity is critical, too -- not just for better health but for better academic achievement. Experts recommend that kids get at least 60 minutes of active play each day. And we know that many of our kids aren't anywhere close to that. So let's move -- and I mean that literally. We have to move to find new ways for our kids to be physically active both in and out of school.
And I have to say that many of you have been very creative on this piece already. Folks in West Virginia have taken the lead in bringing DDR -- that's Dance, Dance Revolution -- it's a new video game that gets kids up and moving. Many other states use it as well. And let me tell you, I can attest to Dance, Dance Revolution. We got it at Camp David, and it will make you sweat. (Laughter.) And it is addictive in a very good way. The President still can't do it. (Laughter.)
Georgia is using a program called HOPSports, and they're beaming in videos of famous athletes into gym classes so kids can learn skills and techniques from their heroes and their role models.
And to build on these efforts, "Let's Move" is going to work to modernize and expand the President's Physical Fitness Challenge. And we've already recruited professional athletes from dozens of different sports leagues. They're going to be involved to encourage our kids to get and stay active.
So that's just some of what we're doing -- just some of it. That's how we're working to attack this problem from every single angle. Because that's the thing about this issue of childhood obesity -- it has so many different causes. There are so many different culprits, and it's not enough to tackle any one of them alone, because we can give our kids the healthiest school meals imaginable, but if the rest of their calories come from the corner store or drive-through, then they still won't get adequate nutrition. And we can have shiny new supermarkets on every block in every community, but if parents don't have the information they need, they'll still struggle to make the right choices for their kids.
So we need a comprehensive, coordinated approach to this problem. But that doesn't necessarily mean an expensive approach, because I know that many of you are stretched thinner than ever in these times, and don't actually have money to spare. But often it's about doing more with what you already have. If you're already paving a new road, for example, why not add a sidewalk or a bike path, too? Or if you're already building a housing development, why not add a playground? If you've got school gyms or playing fields empty after hours, why not find a way to open them up to the community at night or on the weekends?
I also want to be clear that "comprehensive and coordinated" doesn't mean centralized. I've spoken to so many experts on this issue, and not a single one of them has said that the solution is for the federal government to tell people what to do. That doesn't work. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this problem. Because what works in Rhode Island might not work in Arizona. What's perfect for Hawaii might not be right for Minnesota. Different states, as you know, have different needs and different priorities and different resources.
And you all know best what's going to work for the people that you serve. You know what's working and you know what isn't. That's why the NGA's efforts to support this issue and to provide best practice is going to be so valuable. It has already been. That's why I've reached out to so many of you to get your ideas and your input and to learn more about how we can help you. And I want to hear from every single state, of every size, from every region. I want to work with leaders from both parties, because the way I see this, there is nothing Democratic or Republican, there is nothing liberal or conservative about wanting our kids to lead active, healthy lives.
There's no place for politics when it comes to fighting childhood obesity. And I know all of you agree; I know that. You know that -- (applause) -- you know that because with a phone call or the stroke of a pen, you can determine whether a child can see a doctor or get a decent education or have a safe place to play, because you all are fighting the real battles every day on behalf of our kids, and you don't have time for the fake battles. You're interested in what works, what makes a real difference in people's lives, what will make things better for the next generation.
It's funny, because that's what drove President Theodore Roosevelt to call the very first meeting of this organization a century ago to speak to America's governors about conservation -- about preserving America's beauty and bounty not just for the current generation but for generations to come.
Working for the next generation is what drives so many Americans to do what they do -- to work that extra shift, to take that extra job, to go without themselves just so that their kids can have more than they did. It's what we've always done in this country. I know my parents have done it for me. They measured their success by the success of their children, by whether their children were happier and healthier and had a better shot at fulfilling their dreams than they did.
That's why so many of you got involved in politics in the first place -- to leave something better for those who are going to come after you. And in the end, that's what "Let's Move" is all about. It is simple. Let's stop wringing our hands and talking about it and citing statistics. Let's act. Let's move. Let's give our kids the future they deserve.
Look, I look forward to working with all of you in these efforts over the months and years ahead. I'm going to need you. I'm going to need you championing these causes, giving me feedback, giving me direction and guidance. It will not work any other way. And our kids can't afford for us to get this wrong, and we know it.
So thank you in advance for your help, and I look forward to seeing you all on the dance floor tomorrow night. (Laughter.) Thank you so much. (Applause.)
END
11:33 A.M. EST
Categories: Family, Healthy Kids, Office of the First Lady, Speeches and Remarks, The First Lady Tags: