Healthy Eating: Obamas Lead By Example
The New York Times reported that:
As [America] battles an obesity epidemic and a hard-to-break taste for oversweetened and oversalted dishes, her message is clear: Fresh, nutritious foods are not delicacies to be savored by the wealthy, but critical components of the diets of ordinary and struggling families.
A number of prominent foodies have praised Mrs. Obama for taking a clear stand about healthy eating, believing that her emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables for the poor, and on community gardens, will encourage ordinary Americans towards a healthier diet.
American parents may also want to look to the Obamas as models for healthy family eating; Mrs. Obama told the New York Times that a couple of years ago, after their family doctor suggested some dietary adjustments, "we cut out juice boxes, sweets and processed foods."
Mrs. Obama's message to the nation ties in with her husband's actions on improving food safety across America: the President selected a new head of the FDA on Saturday, public health and biological threat expert Dr. Margaret Hamburg, and announced a Cabinet-level food safety group.
Reuters explains that, if Dr. Hamburg is confirmed by the Senate:
[She] will take over an agency battered by a string of often deadly food poisoning and drug safety issues, including an ongoing outbreak of salmonella in peanut products that forced the largest food recall in U.S. history.
Obama has mentioned that the peanut crisis brought up personal worries for him; his daughter Sasha regularly eats peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. As he said, "No parent should have to worry that their child is going to get sick from their lunch."
Obama has blamed outdated food safety laws, and underfunding for the FDA, for the current problems.
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Why should anyone care what celebrities eat? Is there any information in your post that is useful or practical or that serves any purpose at all?
Is this really an appropriate place for you to post your love letters to the Obamas?
ReplyHey Ben, usually I couldn't agree with you more - who gives a fig what celebrities eat? But I have to admit that if Michelle can get ka-zillion google searches for things like: 'Michelle Obama sleevless' then fact of the matter is that regardless whether you're for or against the Obama's, what Michelle Obama says and does has influence... and if that influence can have a positive impact on our nations eating habits, well personally I think that's something to applaud.
So I'll join all the foodies who encourage her to grow an organic vegetable garden and all her answers about food that have to do with eating fewer processed foods.
ReplyWhy are the Obama's getting credit for everything? George W. Bush was the fittest and healthiest President in history, and seldom if ever given =credit for that. He is much fitter than Michelle Obama.
ReplyThat's because G.Bush was a complete moron. When everyone is making fun of the guy and his imagine is practically on the same level as an ape, it's hard to give him ANY credit what-so-ever.
And it's good the Obama's are eating healthy, but sh*t... provide more funding for the FDA?
Don't even get me started on the FDA's track record. Ban aspartame and MSG for starters and then we shall see. The people at FDA are serious loonballs.
ReplyObviously Ben & DJ voted for John McCain, lol.
Reply@ben: people seem to care a lot about what celebrities eat. if you visit a book store you will find lots of celebrity diet book. someone must be buying them.
as for is this is an appropriate place to post about a celebrity diet? look at the categories...see the clue?
ReplyYou're right, there is a celebrity section. That's extremely pathetic.
Next we'll have Weekly World News style diet articles.
Read the top ten diet tips from alien astrologers, here on Diet Blog!
ReplyBarack Obama is a socialist jackass spending us into an oblivion of debt that our great grandchildren will inherit. And for WHAT??? Who gives a rat's ass if he is fit? He's destroying the health of the economy.
ReplyDo you even know what the word socialist means?
ReplyNot everyone can be the model of fiscal conservatism that Bush was.
Wait, what?
ReplyIf Obama is so healthy, why is he a SMOKER?? That sets a great example.
ReplyI read on another blog somewhere that there is going to be a request that Michelle Obama post all of the foods that she gives her kids and what she eats to "help busy moms make better choices". Which I think is stupid, because all it's going to do is open things up for criticism. People are going to flip out if Malia eats an Oreo or if Michelle buys a bag of chips. I really don't give a rat's ass about what the Obamas eat or don't eat and like dj said, he's not the first president ever to eat healthy food and work out.
I am glad to hear that he plans on cleaning up the FDA though...they are woefully understaffed and I'm guessing they tend to skimp on the audits, which could lead to sloppy QC practices in food plants.
ReplyWow, this turned into a political forum! As for the president smoking, he admits it, is not hiding it & says that it is bad & he is trying to quit. As for the health practices of the first family, people do follow this type of stuff along with entertainment celebs. As for the first family, anything that gets people thinking & possibly motivated to make healthier changes is good. The fact that they try to eat healthy, exercise etc. & are a good example to their children & possibly other children in the U.S. is a good thing. There are many children that look up to the president & the first family. We have an obesity epidemic going on.
And as Spectra mentioned, if we can clean up the FDA, that is a good thing!
ReplyLeading by example is of key importance! We always have apples and other fruits in our home - that's the snacks my kids will often receive. Sure, we'll have a cookie treat too, but them seeing Mom take an apple over a cookie makes an impression.
ReplyThe Obamas are public figures, but they are also parents setting an example for their children. Their actions will undeniably make an impression on countless other families. Like Barbara said, "seeing Mom take an apple over a cookie makes an impression."
ReplyI agree with DJ, Pres. Bush got all kinds of negative press for taking time to exercise, and the Obamas are treated to a much different standard. If we had a Republican president smoking cigarettes there would be a lot of finger wagging and tsk tsking, but with President Obama, well, he's "cool" and don't you know how hard it is to quit smoking, give him a break, etc. etc.
ReplyAnd if this article were praising the habits of a Republican president, you probably wouldn't be complaining. Of course there's a double standard. The standard is that people who look up to the Obamas are going to be interested in reading about how they are living their lives, and are more likely to try to emulate them. And whether or not you are included in that category, if someone will be reached, then it is a good thing.
ReplySmoking is an addiction just like food for many people. It is difficult to quit not to say that you can't do it but your body is addicted to the nicotine so it takes time, effort & more just like losing weight. Nobody is saying it is cool that he smokes & as I wrote before, he takes accountability for his smoking, says it is bad. Just like many that read this blog, he is trying to quit but sometimes falls back & those that try to lose weight sometimes fall back.
ReplyI really don't care if he smokes or not. I know how hard it is to quit, as I smoked for over 30 yeasr and quit 6 years ago. Hardest thing I have ever done. My issue is that he is always referred to as being so healthy. Men's Health has him listed as one of the healthiest men in America. I don't care how much you exercise or eat right, if you smoke it is NOT healthy.
ReplyI remember president Bush getting several articles in Runner's World before he gave up running because of his knee, and being complimented by health-minded folks.
Bias? Only in the eyes of those who ardently support or don't support someone.
ReplyThis is interesting...first of all the Obamas aren't celebrities, they are the "first family" and he is president of the United States, show some respect. If people decide to revere them to superficial celebrity status, that shows their inability to discern between words that aren't synonyms in the dictionary. Second of all, they are human beings who what to help the obesity crisis. I agree with the reader who says banning msg and aspartamene would be great. However, on the whole, nothing is wrong, if fact, it is wonderful, that the first family of the United States want to use their position to encourage people to eat healthier, lose weight, and add years to their lives. Anyone who has a problem with that needs to check themselves and see what the "real" issue they have a problem with is.
ReplyWell said!
Reply