Michelle Obama - The White House

My sister in law and niece

April 19, 2012 Dear Domenec: Thank you for writing to me. It has been heartening to hear from people who are interested in helping to combat childhood obesity, and I thank you for taking the time to share your ideas with me.  We launched an initiative here at the White House called Let's Move! to address this growing concern, and we need ideas like yours for this initiative to be successful.  Childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades, and for the first time in our Nation's history, the current generation may be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.  These trends are startling, but I am encouraged because I know that individuals and organizations are already hard at work to combat this issue.  We launched Let's Move! with an ambitious national goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.   Let's Move! will engage every sector impacting the health of children to achieve this national goal, and will provide schools, families, and communities simple tools to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy.  This initiative is comprehensive, collaborative, and community-oriented, and it will specifically address the various factors that lead to childhood obesity by helping parents make healthier choices for their families, providing healthier food in schools, increasing physical activity, and improving access to affordable food in all communities. We are going to need everyone working together to achieve our goal, and so I urge you to join us online at www.LetsMove.gov, where you can stay updated on news and connect with our efforts.  Our strength as a Nation and our ability to responsibly shape our future depends upon tackling this issue, and I hope you stay active in the fight against obesity in your home community.  Thank you again for writing.  I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Michelle Obama First Lady of the United States