Fighting Childhood Obesity in the US
06 June 2010
Michelle Obama plays with kids at an event at the White House to begin the South Lawn Series. The summer activity series is part of the first lady's Let's Move campaign to fight childhood obesity
STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
BARBARA KLEIN: And I'm Barbara Klein. This week on our program, we tell about a new White House program to fight childhood obesity.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States. Almost one-third of American children are overweight or obese. Officials say the rate has tripled in teenagers and doubled in younger children since nineteen eighty.
Many American children and teenagers eat unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugar. They eat many meals at fast-food restaurants. They eat too many snacks between meals. They drink too many sugary drinks. And they do not exercise enough.
In addition, some low-income areas do not have enough supermarkets where people can buy fresh and healthy foods.
BARBARA KLEIN: In February, first lady Michelle Obama launched a campaign to fight childhood obesity. Her campaign is called "Let's Move." It aims to teach children about better nutrition and the importance of exercise.
Mrs. Obama says thirty million American children get the majority of their calories from foods they eat at school. The Obama administration is proposing to spend ten billion dollars over the next ten years to set nutrition rules for schools.
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