Michele Obama single handedly does more for real health care than entire US Congress

[happy_liberal]

I just love this woman!!

First lady asks foodmakers to be on front line tackling childhood obesity
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031603620.html

Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on corporate food giants such as Coca-Cola, General Mills and Kraft Foods to step up efforts to produce more healthful food and then market that, rather than junk food, to children.

Speaking at a meeting of the Grocery Manufacturers Association on Tuesday, Obama said she hopes to see a fundamental shift: "We need you not just to tweak around the edges, but to entirely rethink the products that you're offering, the information that you provide about these products and how you market those products to our children."...

"We can build shiny new supermarkets on every block, but we need those supermarkets to actually provide healthy options at prices people can afford," she said. "And we can insist that our schools serve better food, but we need to actually produce that food. And we can give parents all the information in the world, but they still won't have time to untangle labels filled with 10-syllable words or do long division with these portion sizes. And that's really where you come in."...

"This isn't about finding creative ways to market products as healthy," she said. "As you know, it's about producing products that actually are healthy -- products that can help shape the health habits of an entire generation."...

"If there is anyone here who can sell food to our kids, it's you. You know what gets their attention. You know what makes that lasting impression," she said. "You know what gets them to drive their parents crazy in the grocery store. And I'm here today to ask you to use that knowledge and that power to our kids' advantage."...







She really gets it! :applause: :loveya:

[tabatha]

1. Thank you!!!! Michelle.

I have been saying that for over 20 years.

It takes a rare individual to step up to the plate.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Tumbulu]

2. the problem is unbridled capitalism

20% or more profits ....good food costs money, it is not cheap. An almond costs a lot more than a puffed up rice grain with HFCS and synthetic dyes coating it. So, the profit is with fake foods and the cheapest natural ingredients (grains and other subsidized commodities). I am so very grateful that our incredible First Lady is asking these companies to do this, but I cannot see them being able to do it unless the corporate culture changes to stop requiring unsustainable profits from corporations.

[KittyWampus]

4. a bag of Goya lentils is still under a dollar. The problem is lack of education regarding food

choice and cooking and then also access to food in certain areas.

We were introduced to the term "food deserts" where there are no supermarkets. But that doesn't fully address the issues.

[pschoeb]

13. They are talking about profit for the corporation

Goya lentils does not make much profit, the profit margin is really low(max 5%), a can of coke literally costs a couple cents to make and distribute, and probably 3 cents to advertising, that's about 20 cents in profit or an 80% profit margin.

Healthy food can be inexpensive, but if it is, it has no massive profit margin.

If you want a combination low cost, high profit margin item, it can't be healthy, with the exception of bottled water.

The reason you want both, is you get both high volume(because of low cost) and high margin, this is the nirvana of any capitalist.

Of course something that tastes sweet is also always in more demand, this is due to human physiology and psychology.

[wickerwoman]

21. The problem is 72% of ads that kids see are for junk food.

Kids know that lentils are "healthy" - that's why they won't try them. The junk food lobby spends something like $4 billion a year making sure that all kids are thinking about is their next sugar fix.

It's not so much about education (although teaching everyone to cook on a budget in high school would be a big start).

It's about stopping the bombardment of commercials for unhealthy foods aimed at kids. Meanwhile fast food companies are still producing studies on whining in order to teach kids how to whine more effectively and get their parents to buy junk food.

[KittyWampus]

25. Very good point. Our entire culture is warped in so many ways including food choices, food productio

and food distribution.

We've become alienated from our food.

[K8-EEE]

29. And it's not only kids. We ALL get 1000s of ad messages a day to CONSUME

I really had to consciously say NO to all the food and drinking images that I see every day -- when you start becoming aware of it and counting them up (radio, TV, billboards, Point of Sale displays etc) it's startling. This is one factor they never talk about, the psy-ops!

[happy_liberal]

31. yes, we shut the corporate driven tv off 8 years ago

because we want to protect our children from the BS. We watch netflix, own all kinds of movies...just no commercial TV.

When we go to a hotel and see it now, my kids can't stand all the commercials. They cannot believe the absurdity of the commercials and constant propaganda. They made us shut the TV off after a few minutes because to quote my son "my head hurts"

Adults have conditioned themselves to accept this, and now are conditioning their children...but it all sucks big time.

[happy_liberal]

6. They could try a little harder

It it inexpensive to remove preservatives and other horrible ingredients like MSG. They could make cheap snack foods like nuts, popcorn, pretzels more appealing than doritos and soda.

[Tumbulu]

30. It is inexpensive to remove preservatives , but then the shelf life goes down

requiring more money for distribution. Nuts are quite pricey compared to grains and grain products.

I wish that they would try a little harder. But better food costs more money and until Wall Street stops demanding 20% profit margins, I expect that there will be no significant improvement.

[cali]

20. I eat well on very little money

it can be done and it's not that hard.

[xultar]

3. I wish she would run for President.

[postulater]

5. My neighbor is from India.

He owns a Dairy Queen. His business has crashed with the economy, sometimes selling only a cone or two in an entire day.

That prompted him to pursue his dream of opening an Indian food store next to my office. (Lucky me!)

Lots of whole real food with great prices. Flavors you won't get anywhere else.

In just a few weeks his business is booming.

[babylonsister]

7. She goes right to the source that could do the most good-good for her! nt

[happy_liberal]

8. response thread

Blaming the Food Industry
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7937824

[Better Today]

9. And who among us is naive enough to think this calling out she's

done is going to have any greater effect than her husband's calling out of the banksters?

[leftofcool]

10. +100

[happy_liberal]

11. She is setting a great example with her push for better foods, defending the health of children

This is not the only thing she has done and I very much appreciate her encouraging the trend of organic gardening, growing and eating your own healthful foods.

There is also a new program to help pay(cost share) for greenhouses...


Funding available to help farmers extend the growing season while protecting natural resources
http://www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/news/news_high_tunnel_pilot.html

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a new pilot project under the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels - also known as hoop houses - to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way.

A seasonal high tunnel is a greenhouse-like structure, at least six feet in height, which modifies the climate inside to create more favorable growing conditions for vegetable and other specialty crops grown in the natural soil beneath it. This pilot will test the potential conservation benefits of growing crops under these structures. Participating farms can receive funding for one high tunnel. High tunnels in the study can cover as much as five percent of one acre or approximately a 30 by 72 foot structure."

[happy_liberal]

12. better link

USDA TO LAUNCH HIGH TUNNEL PILOT STUDY TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY GROWN FOODS
3-Year Project To Verify Effectiveness Of High Tunnels In Natural Resource Conservation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2009 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced a new pilot project under the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels - also known as hoop houses - to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. Merrigan and other Obama administration officials highlighted opportunities available for producers in a video posted on USDA's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07vtMJgp0no, which shows high tunnels recently installed in the White House garden.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1RD?printable=true&contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/12/0617.xml

[Better Today]

15. And your point relating to my post is......?

[happy_liberal]

17. Even if the companies don't listen, hopefully Americans will hear her overall message

My point was....maybe you could try to see the postive instead of leaping to the negative.

[Better Today]

19. Naivete, don't y' just love it?

She seems a lovely lady, but she certainly isn't accomplishing anything akin to the title in this OP.

[happy_liberal]

22. Our food supply is the root cause of all the major causes of death in this country...

heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc.


To me, improving our food supply is the most important aspect of health care.

[Better Today]

23. Duh! and yet you're still not addressing my point.

[happy_liberal]

24. ok you are right- nothing was accomplished here

I was just exaggerating and feeling hopeful. sorry.

[Better Today]

26. Now you exaggerate my point. Your OP title is the point, she hasn't

done anything akin to doing "more for real health care than entire US Congress".

Feel as hopeful as you desire, so long as some realize how naive it is to exaggerate into something way more than it is.

[happy_liberal]

27. yes I am naive

but I also believe that just what she said more fully addresses the health care problems than anything Congress has done or said.

[gulliver]

14. Yep, a truly fantastic use of the First Lady role.

The Obama's are proving to be the one-two punch of American health. And, President Obama has started to restore our image abroad. America is on the rise.

[happy_liberal]

16. absolutely!

She has been a welcome surprise for me, and it is so nice to hear a good story every now and then.

[Better Today]

18. Sorry, clicked the wrong reply or something. Intended as reply to above.

[Scurrilous]

28. K & R

:thumbsup:

[upi402]

32. Those are GREAT sentiments. The organic garden too!

:patriot:
She needs to nudge that husband of hers and hint that he might want to stop the corporatists he's appointing from killing us slowly.