Can the First Lady and a Queens politician end Childhood Obesity?

First Lady Michelle Obama launched
the Let's Move campaign which
encourage children to participate in
physical activity and to eat right.

I was happy to hear that McDonalds-the largest fast food chain in the world- took heed to the complaints of parents and health advocates and decided to make their happy meals healthier.

Queens Councilman Leroy Comrie introduced
legislation that forced restaurants like
McDonalds to provide healthier options.

       
As a resident of New York City, I immediately thought about the efforts of Councilman Leroy Comire who introduced legislation back in April to ban toys in kids meals over 500 calories at fast food restaurants. I also thought about First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign which encourages children to participate in physical activity and to eat right.

I credit Comrie for tackling the rising childhood obesity rates of those youngsters in his district and nationwide especially since the majority of his constituents are African-Americans. According to the Office of Minority Health, African-American children were 30 percent likely to be overweight than non Hispanic Whites in 2007 through 2008.

SAD! Considering obesity is linked to a host of other related issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. All of which are very prevalent in the African-American community.

I reached out to Comrie’s office for an interview or a statement about McDonald’s changes to its Happy Meals. Thankfully, a press release was sent my way and Comrie brought up two important points.

I want to take this opportunity to applaud McDonald's for taking this much-needed step forward in providing healthier choices for our children. I believe that fast-food businesses, who invest millions of dollars in marketing their products to children, have a moral responsibility to provide their customers with safer, healthier options.”

I  agree with that since it’s my belief that the diet of most children is tied to the fact that they have parents or caretakers who are too tired or too lazy — I’ll admit it —to prepare a home cooked meal. Thus children rely on restaurants in their community. Depending on the median income of your neighborhood, there is a lack of options. In other words there is an abundance of pizzerias, fast food joints and Chinese food restaurants. All of these establishments and others are a factor in childhood obesity.

Councilman Comrie went on to say:

 "As someone who knows too-well the unhealthy effects and challenges of obesity, I have committed to trying to improve access to healthy food  in my community where fast-food restaurants outnumber supermarkets and produce stores 10-1. My colleagues in the New York City Council and I passed the FRESH (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health) Initiative to provide financial and zoning incentives for grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods”

Truth be told, every individual has a choice. Plus it is up to every individual to make the best option when it comes to their well being. However, what is one to do when options do not exist in their immediate neighborhood. That’s why Comrie and his fellow politicians must continue to enact programs like FRESH.

Earlier, I noted First Lady Michelle’s Let’s Move campaign which was launched in February 2010. Since then, the initiative has sparked a lot of changes nationwide including those noted on the website:

·         
   The Healthy. Hunger-Free Kids Act, a ground breaking piece of legislation, was signed into law so all kids have healthier food in school and even more have access to a healthy lunch.

  

       Three of the largest food service providers have committed to improving the food they provided to schools to meet recommended levels of fat, sugar, and whole grains over the next five years, and to double the fruits and vegetables they serve over the next 10 years.

        A coalition of the Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, the Food, Family and Farming Foundation and the United Fresh Produce Association has committed over the next three years to put 6,000 salad bars in schools across the country.

So between Comrie’s legislation which had something to do with McDonald’s decision and the First Lady Let’s Move campaign, will African-Americans be responsible for the end of childhood obesity?