Earlier this week the First Lady held a town hall style event in the State Dining Room of the White House where she discussed childhood health and to further her stand to combat childhood obesity.
The youngsters were invited to ask questions on the subject, and one very important question did come up.
What exactly is 'obesity'?
Mrs. Obama gives her take at explaining the term to a youngster seated in the rear of the room.
"Yes, yes. Well, it is a pretty big word, but I think it -- you know, just to make it simple, it’s when people’s weight gets higher than it should be. And there are very scientific measurements for it. Something called Body Mass Index is what a lot of doctors try to measure. But as you grow, your weight and your height should remain fairly consistent, but people’s Body Mass Index really varies. So there’s no one right weight or height to be", continued Mrs. Obama.
"If you look in my whole family, we’ve got people who are 6’6” and people who are 4’11”. And weight and height really depend on you as a person. But what this is all about, really, is about making sure that you guys are healthy, that you’re eating the right foods, that you’re getting enough exercise. This isn’t about how you look, this isn’t about appearances, because we all have to own and be proud of exactly who we are. I am 5’11”. I was probably this height when I was very young, and my parents taught me to be proud of the way I look. And this isn’t about how you look. This is about how you guys feel. It’s about health."
Students from Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington, D.C. and Lyles Crouch Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, along with Girl Scouts from the national capital region participated in the meeting.
Earlier this month Mrs. Obama invited students from Bancroft Elementary and Hollin Meadows school to plant vegetables in the White House garden.
"And what we found with working with the kids that helped me with the garden was that if kids planted it and were involved in it and understood it, they’d eat it and they’d be excited about it. And they could help not only change their own health habits, but they’d go back home and start teaching their parents."
Mrs. Obama , however, doesn't advocate taking unhealthy foods completely out our diets, but rather encourages making healthier, and smarter food choices.
"It’s not about never having the stuff you want, right? I would love it if I could live healthy on pie and French fries. I’d do it. I’d eat it. But the fact of the matter is, is that you can’t. We are made as humans to need a balanced diet with enough fiber and enough vegetables and fruits. And we have to be educated about what that diet should look like, and then we have to start making choices to not have candy every day, even if you can; to not ask for those desserts all the time, even if you can; to think about learning how to cook for yourselves, how to bake a chicken and make a little pasta; how to think about putting more water in your diet."
Mrs. Obama became increasingly aware of the need to make changes in her own family's diet at the advice of her girls' pediatrician who told her "you may want to watch it."
"So, we made some pretty simple changes in our household. We made sure we got more fruits and vegetables and dinner. I cooked more. We ate out a little bit less. We limited desserts to weekends -- I know, not every day. I took out sugary drinks so my kids were drinking more water. We made sure they were exercising; at least moving around everyday, so no TV during the weeks -- week."
Adding, "those little changes made a pretty significant difference."
Update/New: USDA Highlights Efforts to Improve School Meals and Health of Nation’s Children
Garden Photo: CD Brown for Politics. On Point.
The youngsters were invited to ask questions on the subject, and one very important question did come up.
What exactly is 'obesity'?
Mrs. Obama gives her take at explaining the term to a youngster seated in the rear of the room.
"Yes, yes. Well, it is a pretty big word, but I think it -- you know, just to make it simple, it’s when people’s weight gets higher than it should be. And there are very scientific measurements for it. Something called Body Mass Index is what a lot of doctors try to measure. But as you grow, your weight and your height should remain fairly consistent, but people’s Body Mass Index really varies. So there’s no one right weight or height to be", continued Mrs. Obama.
"If you look in my whole family, we’ve got people who are 6’6” and people who are 4’11”. And weight and height really depend on you as a person. But what this is all about, really, is about making sure that you guys are healthy, that you’re eating the right foods, that you’re getting enough exercise. This isn’t about how you look, this isn’t about appearances, because we all have to own and be proud of exactly who we are. I am 5’11”. I was probably this height when I was very young, and my parents taught me to be proud of the way I look. And this isn’t about how you look. This is about how you guys feel. It’s about health."
Students from Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington, D.C. and Lyles Crouch Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, along with Girl Scouts from the national capital region participated in the meeting.
Earlier this month Mrs. Obama invited students from Bancroft Elementary and Hollin Meadows school to plant vegetables in the White House garden.
First Lady Plants Vegetables in White House Garden With Students. Photo/CD Brown
Herbs and vegetables planted in the garden include chervil, rosemary, swiss chard, spinach, collard and mustard greens, cauliflower, onions, broccoli, and peas, to name a few.
"And what we found with working with the kids that helped me with the garden was that if kids planted it and were involved in it and understood it, they’d eat it and they’d be excited about it. And they could help not only change their own health habits, but they’d go back home and start teaching their parents."
Mrs. Obama , however, doesn't advocate taking unhealthy foods completely out our diets, but rather encourages making healthier, and smarter food choices.
"It’s not about never having the stuff you want, right? I would love it if I could live healthy on pie and French fries. I’d do it. I’d eat it. But the fact of the matter is, is that you can’t. We are made as humans to need a balanced diet with enough fiber and enough vegetables and fruits. And we have to be educated about what that diet should look like, and then we have to start making choices to not have candy every day, even if you can; to not ask for those desserts all the time, even if you can; to think about learning how to cook for yourselves, how to bake a chicken and make a little pasta; how to think about putting more water in your diet."
Mrs. Obama became increasingly aware of the need to make changes in her own family's diet at the advice of her girls' pediatrician who told her "you may want to watch it."
"So, we made some pretty simple changes in our household. We made sure we got more fruits and vegetables and dinner. I cooked more. We ate out a little bit less. We limited desserts to weekends -- I know, not every day. I took out sugary drinks so my kids were drinking more water. We made sure they were exercising; at least moving around everyday, so no TV during the weeks -- week."
Adding, "those little changes made a pretty significant difference."
Update/New: USDA Highlights Efforts to Improve School Meals and Health of Nation’s Children
Garden Photo: CD Brown for Politics. On Point.
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