Michelle Obama: Obesity Is Bad. Now, Let’s Eat!

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Michelle Obama: Obesity Is Bad. Now, Let’s Eat!

Written By : William Teach

She’s at it again, telling you what to eat

Taking her campaign against obesity before the Congressional Black Caucus, First Lady Michelle Obama said childhood obesity had become a national epidemic and was particularly bad in black communities.

Obama drew laughter from the black legislators in D.C. when she said, “We all need to start making some changes to how our families eat. Now, everyone loves a good Sunday dinner. Me included. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we eat Sunday dinner Monday through Saturday.” (Her full speech text is below.)

This came

A day after Obama called on the National Restaurant Assn. for drastic changes in …

… the contents, food preparation and menus of its establishments to facilitate a radical reformation of eating habits, even if that meant less business……

Anyone think that a fancy dinner wasn’t served (though, really, they always taste similar to fancy cardboard at these types of big events)? Or how about at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 33rd Annual Awards Gala at the Washington Convention Center, which the Obama’s attended on Wednesday? What kind of foods were served at the Blumenthal and DNC events PBO attended Thursday? How about at the CBC gala on Saturday, where Obama will give a speech? I wonder what the food was like during the Obama’s numerous vacations, as well as Michelle’s opulent Spain jaunt? Or all the other ritzy parties at the White House?

Let’s face it, Michelle actually does have a good idea in decreasing obesity, especially in children. Yet, she herself acts like a typical liberal hypocrite, following the “do as I say (and legislate and require), not as I do” model. Michelle is probably thrilled that chocolate milk has been banned in many schools, including at all public schools in D.C. and Virginia’s Fairfax county.

Lee

Message for Michelle: “healthy” food costs a great deal more. Families on a budget simply can't afford it. And when those families go out, they can spend $25 at McDonalds or $100 at a “healthy” restaurant. This isn't rocket science. And trying to force manufacturers of “healthy” food or grocery stores who sell it to lower their prices will only drive them out of business. This is basic economics, which she might understand if she had a clue about how the vast majority of the country lives. We can't afford $100 a pound wagu steak. And frankly, your ignorance and holier-than-thou attitude on the matter is annoying. When she starts living on a budget of $200 a week for all groceries for the 4 of them, including packing daily lunches for the kids going to school, I'll be willing to listen.

Mooman

I don't think that is the problem. I think its the *time* it takes to cook healthily. I'm unsure if that many people really eat out every night, or often enough for it to be a problem.
Its more that cooking fresh greens, or fresh chicken, is a lot harder than cooking, um, spam? And that making kids eat a lentil soup or something is a lot harder than making them eat McDonalds, with it's high salt taste.

Seems to me, its more a discipline and time problem than a cost problem. The parents who are too tired from working to cook a meal (although, how many people are really that tired at the end of the day, and aren't just plain old lazy?) will cook pre-packaged crap. And the parents that don't want to make little tubby eat something healthy will just throw him a snickers bar instead.

Some people just need to get some personal responsibility… but when they fail, what do we do? The culture in this country is that we can't just ridicule fat people. Which would help a bit. At least healthy people would feel better, anyway.

gfchicago

My mom was a stay at home mom that had dinner on the table at 5:00 every afternoon when my father got home from work. From my mom being from the Dallas/Fort Worth area and from a poor family, she made a lot of southern soul food as they call it now. It in some instances was not what you would call the healthiest. It took prep time and then the actual cooking.

In fact my mother was called to the school, because school officials thought that we were not getting enough to eat at home. All three of us were very thin.

I know for a fact that my family and extended family used to ask me if I had a hollow leg, because I ate so much. Even into my mid to late forties, I only weighed between 120 & 125 (and I'm 5'8″), because I was so active. Now I weigh about 150. God knows that my eating habits as an adult at times have been atrocious. Do I prefer fresh veggies and chicken and such, hell yes. But by the time I worked 10 to 12 hours a day, I was certainly in no mood to cook any meals.

I think the biggest factor was that when we were kids we didn't stay in the house and watch t.v. or or play video games (we didn't have video games in the '60's and early '70s) we would go outside right after breakfast (in the summer time) run, ride bikes, go swimming, ect… ect…

The point is kids do not get enough exercise anymore. Their parents let them sit around and be couch potatoes.

Mooman

I'd agree on this. I think you're right on the money with the lack of exercise too. It's the tv and, let's face it, the far more addictive internet that really does in running around.
There's probably a lot to do with both parents working as well. If you're tired, you're much less likely to make your kids run around, or drive them to sports practice and back.
I don't think the solution is to tell people to eat more healthily. Why not just push more fruit and veg in schools? I grew up in Australia, and AFAIK its the law there that kids – up until end of high school – have to do sports three times a week and on saturdays, as well as PE a coupla' times a week.
Every school does this, arranges the transport for the weekday stuff, and everyone is forced to exercise. Its a good thing, and keeps us in the mood to keep on exercising after school.

We still eat crap though…

gfchicago

as well as PE a coupla' times a week.

When I was growing up we had to have P.E. every single day of the school week. My freshman year was taken up with softball, gymnastics (which I hated, because I'm not that coordinated). My sophomore year was swimming. My junior year was whatever the teacher decided. My senior class was the best. We had the football coach, and he let us do pretty much what we wanted, which was volleyball. I was the permanent captain of one team, and Angel was the other. If I remember correctly at the end of the school year we were tied for wins.
mightysamurai

I grew up in Australia, and AFAIK its the law there that kids – up until end of high school – have to do sports three times a week and on saturdays, as well as PE a coupla' times a week.

American elementary schools had about an hour of PE 2-3 times a week when I was growing up, and in middle school we had a PE period every weekday except for our last semester of eighth grade.

The problem, I think, isn't that American public schools don't have physical education. It's that they don't have strenuous physical education. I don't remember doing anything more strenuous during elementary school than walking the track before each PE session and playing kickball every other week or so. The rest of the time it was incredibly light “games” like tossing frisbees or playing around with the big parachute.

http://www.wordaroundthenet.com Christopher Taylor

Yeah Mooman has it right: its not more expensive, its just more effort and time to eat healthy. By the raw materials to cook with, cook from scratch, and you can have pretty cheap and very nutritious meals.

StanW

Sure, Michelle will pack lunches for her girls to take to school, right after Al Gore moves into an energy efficient house ad starts driving a Prius.

A pox on them all!
StanW

Sorry, Lee. My comment above was meant as a response to you.

Need. More. COFFEE!
baoxian

How about starting with our own laws, Mrs. First Lady? One of the biggest problems in the American diet is the ubiquity of corn and corn sweeteners, which is caused by farm subsidies and tariffs on imported cane sugar. It spills over into other parts of the food supply, as corn-fed cattle have a higher fat content and are more likely to get sick, requiring the use of antibiotics.

Oh right, and ethanol mandates that force increasing areas of farmland into corn production and raise prices for both food and fuel because of the incredibly wasteful corn-ethanol conversion process (while we levy another tariff on more efficient Brazilian cane ethanol).

The government is making people fat, Mrs. Obama. How about doing something about that before you crusade to shut down businesses and quash personal choice?

UFKA_Smithwick

We are also subsidizing the hell out of beef and dairy production, making those products far cheaper than they would be otherwise.

End the subsidies and vegetables/grains will be a comparably much better choice.

Not to mention saving us billions.
Mooman

OH god yes I am with you on this one. That corn syrup stuff tastes like crap AND is bad for you. There is no reason to ruin the taste of chocolate, ice cream and coca cola with it. The only plus side is that every time I go home or to the UK, the choccies taste extra nice.
That, and that i eat so much less sugary stuff here, because it tastes grot.

gfchicago

That corn syrup stuff tastes like crap

Boy you must have never had a nice elderly neighbor that made the most delicious popcorn balls when you were a kid. I really fell sorry for you for that.

Guest

They should know that only Republicants can dictate what you do. Whether you can buy beer on Sunday, gamble, carry a child to full term, or take your spouse off of life support after 15 years of being in a coma. The Democrats should just know better than try to help the quality of societal life by not allowing restaurants to dictate what they feed you by keeping it a mystery.
http://conservativebootcamp.com Martin Hale

Nutritional scientists have known for a long while that obesity is a condition of affluence and abundance. Obesity has followed affluence around the globe striking populations who've pulled themselves out of deep poverty into some degree of affluence. Most of the nutritional scientists I've read or talked with believe that our tendency to overeat when food is in abundance is either genetically encoded for, or it's a very primitive instinct which has been bred into our species through countless generations of privation, starvation and food “boom or bust” cycles.

Given that background, I'd have to say that Ms. Obama's obesity initiative is well suited to her husband's fiscal plans for this nation. By damaging our affluence, they will definitely impact the rate of obesity in this nation. Win-win for team Obama; lose-lose for the rest of us.

http://www.thepiratescove.us/ William_Teach

Well, good news! Obama and the Dems want to make us all poor so we won't be able to eat like that anymore.

UFKA_Smithwick

Correction: Obama and the Dems want to make us all poor so we won't be able to eat like*them* anymore.

UFKA_Smithwick

“Given that background, I'd have to say that Ms. Obama's obesity initiative is well suited to her husband's fiscal plans for this nation. By damaging our affluence, they will definitely impact the rate of obesity in this nation. Win-win for team Obama; lose-lose for the rest of us. “

Also if you couple lowering standard of living with rising food prices due to bio-ethanol schemes, taxes designed to encourage “green” farming, and EPA regulations you will return us to the far more natural and appealing subsistence/famine cycles that the rest of the world enjoys.

Martha

Less coffee would certainly be more healthy.

http://www.thepiratescove.us/ William_Teach

Not being argumentative, just informative, but, actually, I believe that has to do with the caffeine. I cut out most caffeine years ago, and feel a lot better. But, I won't go into a preachy ex-caffeiner rant, though :)

Hotspur1

Maybe I should try that, too. I'm starting to eat more oatmeal nowadays. The whole grain regular kind too. Mix in some applesauce and it's actually quite tasty. Cuts out the sugar from the flavored stuff. I'm thinking of adding blueberries next time.

However, if you're really adventurous, try Grape-Nuts and milk, heated in the microwave, with honey on top.
gfchicago

But, I won't go into a preachy ex-caffeiner rant, though :)

Thanks for that at least. I would like to have a coffee i.v. hooked up to me. :)
http://www.thepiratescove.us/ William_Teach

I have a bit, usually with a cold tea or soda during the day, but, I always buy decaf if I can. I get decaf Dunkin Donuts coffee, Ginger ale (which is always decaf), decaf lipton tea for at home, and, the one my Mother hates, Hawaiian Punch (love it). The eye doctor told me to give up caffeine to see if that was what was causing a serious eye twitch. Tried it for a month, then realized that it was caused by the eye drops he had me switch to for my contacts.

Not to get preachy, but, tons of caffeine causes headaches. Since I am slightly migraine prone, this cut them down to maybe once a month, and not as bad, from at least 1-2 times a week.

StanW

And why is that, Martha? Becasue you say so?

UFKA_Smithwick

You know, if she's worried about inner city folks having access to veggies and healthy foods she could always save her table scraps and fling them out at adoring crowds of disadvantaged urban youth (from her moving SUV of course).

That sort of noblesse oblige would suit her personality I think.

gfchicago

That kind of reminds me of when we were kids, my mom would make something that we kids didn't particularly like, she would go into this speech about all of the starving kids in (India, Africa or any other third world nation), I finally told her, ok mom we'll box it up and send it to them. Needless to say that earned me a crack in the mouth.

My mom was into corporal punishment, which by the way isn't such a bad thing. At least we learned manners along the way, not to sass adults, even when at times I felt they were begging for it.

UFKA_Smithwick

“(India, Africa or any other third world nation)”

Soon to be the replaced with the cast off Peoples Republics of Detroit, California, etc.

The detroitians (as they prefer to be called) might take it, but the californites will refuse any scraps that aren't certified organic, vegan, GMO-free. So they aren't getting anything from me.
StanW

When my mom made something we didn't like to eat, she skipped the speech and went right to the heart of the matter. She gave us a choice, either eat it or don't.

gfchicago

My parents were sticklers for eating everything on our plates. I remember when I was 7 (this was in `67) my mom had made lima beans along with the rest of the dinner. I took one bite and decided I didn't like them. Dinner was served at 5:00, I ate everything on my plate except the lima beans. My dad said Katherine you will sit there until you finish those lima beans. I sat there until 7:55, (8:00 was our bedtime) finally dad came in to the dinning room and said you either finish the lima beans or your going to get a spanking. Since my dad was a big imposing man, I looked at the lima beans and then at my dad, and decided the better part of valor was just to eat the lima beans.

To this day I won't eat those damn things.

baoxian

The difference between Michelle Obama and Marie Antoinette? Marie Antoniette at least let the peasants eat cake.

UFKA_Smithwick

And I understand Marie was fairly good looking.

No doubt I will be labeled a racist for this but Michelle is remarkably ugly. It's like her personality is manifest physically on her face.

http://www.wordaroundthenet.com Christopher Taylor

I don't think she's particularly ugly, but she's not that great looking either, and certainly not the “most beautiful woman ever, ravishing goddess of fashion” that the press tried so hard to convince people in 2009. You don't hear that so much any longer.

UFKA_Smithwick

“The Democrats should just know better than try to help the quality of societal life by not allowing restaurants to dictate what they feed you by keeping it a mystery. “

Ignore the rest of your post, this part I found particularly funny.

How exactly do restaurants dictate to you what you must eat?

Perhaps in North Korea (or utopia as you probably know it) you are told what you must eat but here there are a wide range of choices all of which are voluntary.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Thank for show us all that you have no understanding of what Republicans and more specifically conservatives actually want. And how little they actual do try to control your life vs your idiotic assumptions and imaginary demons.
http://2b118o6vet4qmzb562fssh6m6q.hop.clickbank.net/ Michelle

I guess the nag in cheif hasn't figured out that because of decades of governmental overeach women also have to go out and work just to keep up so we can't spend our time at home cooking for the family anymore.

Very few wives and mothers can afford to stay home, being a housewife is looked down on, overtaxation and regulation has diminished the family income, and that witch still wan'ts to tell US how to live!!

Whatever!
gfchicago

Jeeze William,

Did you really have to post so many pictures of the “First Wookie” stuffing her ugly face?

She has to be the crudest first lady, well besides the Hildabest, that we've had in a while.

http://www.thepiratescove.us/ William_Teach

Happy Friday! :D

Antoniobonarrigo

Hi Michele,I hope this Message will reach You. First ,I realy like your Intensions, about doing something in Nutrition , so people are aware of the Importants of the Food ,they consume.I am a personal Chef here in Miami since 10 Years,never in my Life , I heard of an american First Lady , doing something in that direction.You have a lots of courage doing all these, I know its not easy,for you to make , drasticaly changes ,But I will pray for you every night , my goal is the same as yours.To help people of this world,live a healthy,happy and more energetic Live. I have some ideas how to promote Health / Love / Happiness > very easy > only I like to rveal it to YOU my first Lady. Good bless you and your Family.

gfchicago

only I like to rveal it to YOU my first Lady. Good bless you and your Family.

Good Lord, what are you some kind of psychic or nut job. Do you really think that she will take the time out to communicate with any of us peons?

http://www.thepiratescove.us/ William_Teach

If you don't like the food joint, go somewhere else. Like lots of people, I avoid ones that cook with MSG. Allergic (sheesh, am I revealing too much about myself today or what?) Plus, if you have to cook with MSG, you can't really cook.

Almost every social issue should be left to states and The People.

But, hey, I notice you couldn't actually defend Michelle there, Guest. Why's that?
TeaPartyNation

As the hypocrite michelle antoinette tells Americans to stop eating what they want, here's what she does on the taxpayer dime:

Every day she and her staff (the biggest and most expensive FLOTUS staff in American history) work very hard at finding an elitist, expensive, world-famous gourmet chef to cook their dinner. They then make arrangements to fly the chef to the White House (at taxpayer expense) and provide him with every expensive, luxurious food item in existence (Kobe beef, beluga caviar, foie gras, truffles, imported wine and champagne, etc, etc. – again, at taxpayer expense) so the chef can produce a five-star gourmet meal for her golfing-tired husband and her spoiled-rotten brats.

Meanwhile, housewives across America are struggling to put food on the table thanks to the failed economic policies of “You Lie!” hussein (unemployment benefits only go so far)

Sounds just like Marie Antoinette, doesn't it.
Guest

I find your post amusing. Mainly due to your inability to read. At no point did I say restaurants dictate what you must eat, but that they can control what is in your order with a particular cooking method without your knowledge. Ask a person with a peanut allergy how something simple and normally unassociated with peanuts can really catch them by surprise. You are probably a proponent of cartoon advertising for cigarettes also. No one forces kids to smoke, so lets put Sponge Bob on a carton.

http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

As the parent, it's your responsibility to say no to demands to McDonald's, not the governments. Everything else is just an extension of that ideal. Including making sure YOU know a restaurant might use peanuts, peanut oil, et al. And although the restaurant should have that information available to patrons the govt should not force them to provide it. The consumer has the responsibility to look after their own interests not the govt.
UFKA_Smithwick

I don't think you know what dictate means:

1. To say or read aloud to be recorded or written by another: dictate a letter.
2.
a. To prescribe with authority; impose: dictated the rules of the game.
b. To control or command: “Foreign leaders were . . . dictated by their own circumstances, bound by the universal imperatives of politics” (Doris Kearns Goodwin).

I assume you didn't mean the first definition.

And you said: “by not allowing restaurants to dictate what they feed you by keeping it a mystery.”

They aren't dictating what you eat because you have the free choice not to eat there.

To quote one of the great orators of our time: Yumping Yesus! Him sad. Brain broken.

Guest

UFKA_Smithwick 1 hour ago in reply to Guest

This post was in reply to UFKA

Probably the same person who designed this reply function that only works when it feels like working.

http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

It's your browser, I had an old version of IE going, switched to Chrome and no issues,

gfchicago

I've been using Firefox or Sea Monkey, I despise I.E.. Although I've had problems with these two crashing.

I'm going to have to check in to Chrome. Thanks for the information.

Vegeta1

sounds like my mom.
Vegeta1

I was replying th staw. I didn't relize the reply function was messed up

gfchicago

I haven't had any problems with the reply function, knock on wood. I'm using FireFox and it seems to be working properly, except for the crash earlier today. From what I could tell it was because of high usage at the time.

Guest

So you are an advocate of doing away with the FDA? No prescriptions should be necessary in aquiring regulated prescription drugs? The government shouldn't demand that the food industry not sell ecoli ladened vegetables? We shouldn't have the government tell the Chinese not to use anti freeze in the toothpaste? The whole purpose of government is to do what we as individuals can't do as individuals.

gfchicago

Your whole argument is really stupid. Michelle is trying to regulate our food preferences. This has absolutely nothing to do with food safety regulations. She is trying to issue orders about what we are supposed to eat. I guess your just fine with government being all up in our lives telling us what we have to do.
UFKA_Smithwick

Grease = prescription drugs. Sugar = E. coli. Salt = anti-freeze.

Welcome to new-speak America.

The rest of us can see a difference. Don't confuse your inability to do so with anything meaningful.
mightysamurai

The whole purpose of government is to do what we as individuals can't do as individuals.

Wrong! WRONG you asshole!

The purpose of government is to protect and affirm our individual and inalienable rights.

RappinMc

Period. Well said Mighty.

Bobjohanson

I can't think of a worse issue for 1st 'lady' Obama. She is NOT a slim woman at all. Her and her kids are WAY too chubby to be preaching to the masses about obesity! But hey, she must do something other than take vacations.

Ed Klein on ‘The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House’

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