First Lady takes antiobesity campaign to Expo Milano
June 18, 2015 |12:13 AM
First Lady Michelle Obama today took her Let’s Move campaign about childhood obesity to the Milan Expo on food and agriculture in 2050, speaking about the issue and cooking a meal with children from a nearby American School.
“Globally, obesity has doubled around the world since 1980 — can you imagine that?,” the first lady said in opening remarks.
Noting that 42 million children are on track to be overweight before preschool, Obama said, “there’s really no country that’s doing enough to reverse the trends right now. They’re not finding ways to make any long-lasting impacts.”
That’s why, she said, she started Let’s Move, with a goal of “eliminating childhood obesity in a generation.”
“If we don’t get a handle on this issue, we’re going to see these numbers continue to go up. And that’s something that’s just acceptable,” she added.
“And we’re starting to see some changes. We’re starting to see obesity rates stop rising in our country. And we’re also starting to see young kids, the really smallest kids getting healthier outcomes. So we’re kind of excited.”_ (For a transcript of her full remarks, see link.)_
In an interview with La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, Obama said she wanted to come to Milan because she wanted to share the U.S. success in fighting obesity and to learn from others.
The White House said that after her remarks, the first lady joined the presidential delegation for a cooking event with local Italian students from the American School of Milan at the James Beard American Restaurant in Milan.
During the event, the first lady, John Besh, the visiting chef at the USA Pavilion this week, the presidential delegation and the students prepared a barley, rice and lentil salad, the White House said.
Besh, a native southern Louisiana chef, was called to active duty as a Marine for 10 months to serve in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm.
Upon his return, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and in 2006 was named as the best chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation, and has received additional awards.
In 2011, he founded the John Besh Foundation which provides scholarships, grants, and loans to individuals in the New Orleans community who hope to inspire change.
On Wednesday evening, the first lady, her mother, and daughters Malia and Sasha met with Prime Minister Renzi, his wife and their daughter, and together they viewed Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
Today the first lady is scheduled to visit the expo, where she will tour the Italian pavilion with the prime minister’s wife.
Obama then will tour the U.S.A. Pavilion and, along with the presidential delegation, will participate in a question-and-answer session with 60 American college students who were selected to serve as student ambassadors at the U.S.A. Pavilion to greet and interact with visitors.
“Globally, obesity has doubled around the world since 1980 — can you imagine that?,” the first lady said in opening remarks.
Noting that 42 million children are on track to be overweight before preschool, Obama said, “there’s really no country that’s doing enough to reverse the trends right now. They’re not finding ways to make any long-lasting impacts.”
That’s why, she said, she started Let’s Move, with a goal of “eliminating childhood obesity in a generation.”
“If we don’t get a handle on this issue, we’re going to see these numbers continue to go up. And that’s something that’s just acceptable,” she added.
“And we’re starting to see some changes. We’re starting to see obesity rates stop rising in our country. And we’re also starting to see young kids, the really smallest kids getting healthier outcomes. So we’re kind of excited.”_ (For a transcript of her full remarks, see link.)_
In an interview with La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, Obama said she wanted to come to Milan because she wanted to share the U.S. success in fighting obesity and to learn from others.
The White House said that after her remarks, the first lady joined the presidential delegation for a cooking event with local Italian students from the American School of Milan at the James Beard American Restaurant in Milan.
During the event, the first lady, John Besh, the visiting chef at the USA Pavilion this week, the presidential delegation and the students prepared a barley, rice and lentil salad, the White House said.
Besh, a native southern Louisiana chef, was called to active duty as a Marine for 10 months to serve in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm.
Upon his return, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and in 2006 was named as the best chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation, and has received additional awards.
In 2011, he founded the John Besh Foundation which provides scholarships, grants, and loans to individuals in the New Orleans community who hope to inspire change.
On Wednesday evening, the first lady, her mother, and daughters Malia and Sasha met with Prime Minister Renzi, his wife and their daughter, and together they viewed Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
Today the first lady is scheduled to visit the expo, where she will tour the Italian pavilion with the prime minister’s wife.
Obama then will tour the U.S.A. Pavilion and, along with the presidential delegation, will participate in a question-and-answer session with 60 American college students who were selected to serve as student ambassadors at the U.S.A. Pavilion to greet and interact with visitors.
