First lady Michelle Obama recently recruited the help of professional chefs to fight the childhood obesity epidemic by making school food healthier and tastier.
More than 500 chefs from around the country, including celebrity names like Rachael Ray, Cat Cora and Tom Colicchio, gathered for an event on the South Lawn of the White House earlier this month to announce their commitment to the anti-obesity campaign. Each pledged to adopt a school in their community and educate children about proper nutrition and healthier lifestyles.
“You know more about food than almost anyone, other than the grandmas, and you’ve got the visibility and the enthusiasm to match that knowledge,” Michelle Obama told the culinary experts at the event. The first lady is leading the administration’s campaign to combat childhood obesity in the United States.
Nearly 1000 chefs are involved in the “Chefs Move to Schools” program so far and Obama says she hopes to triple that number. The chefs will adopt schools across America to help not only students, but also parents and school cooks to learn how to create healthier, more affordable meals. The first lady insists that since many children consume more than half of their daily calories at school by relying on the national programs for breakfast and lunch, proper nutrition at school is more important than ever.
Michelle Obama also urged Congress to approve increased funding in schools in an effort to help schools afford to provide healthier meals for children. The administration is asking for $10 billion in funding over the next 10 years to improve child nutrition programs and combat the obesity epidemic.
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