First Lady Michelle Obama Praises Change Happening Across the Nation

From new school lunches to states like Mississippi where the childhood obesity rate is decreasing, Mrs. Obama lauds changes and encourages the nation to keep working for our children’s health

Clinton, MS – As part of the celebration of the third anniversary of Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama today highlighted change happening across the country to keep our children healthy, from new school lunches nationwide to localities where the childhood obesity rate is declining. Mrs. Obama praised these changes, and called on leaders from across the nation to keep working to improve our children’s health.

            The First Lady joined TV personality and child nutrition advocate Rachael Ray to highlight the new healthy school lunches that are now being served across the nation. Thanks to the bi-partisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, championed by Mrs. Obama and Ray, and signed into law by the President in 2010, the 32 million students who eat lunch provided by their school are now seeing more fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk varieties, and whole grains; less saturated fat and sodium; and proper portion size on their lunch trays. Mrs. Obama and Rachael Ray hosted a cooking competition between school chefs to highlight the new healthier school lunches, and over the next several weeks, LetsMove.gov will feature school lunch success stories from across the nation.

Mrs. Obama and Rachael Ray chose to highlight school lunches in Mississippi, which was rated the most obese state in the nation for several years, because the state’s childhood obesity rates have declined by 13% among elementary school students in recent years.  According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Mississippi is one of several states and cities to show decreases in childhood obesity, including Philadelphia, New York City and California. Mrs. Obama praised Mississippi’s efforts and called on other states and cities to follow suit.

“We’ve seen real, measurable declines in the rates of childhood obesity right here in Mississippi, and in places like Philadelphia, New York City and California. And there is no reason why this success can’t happen in cities and states all across this country, if we’re willing to work for it,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “So now is truly the time to double down on our efforts. We know what works, we know how to get results, now we just need to step up, and put in the energy, and effort and imagination.”

Growing evidence suggests comprehensive efforts such as making healthy foods available in schools and communities and integrating physical activity into people’s daily lives are making a difference and contributing to these declines.  The Clinton Public School District (CPSD) in Mississippi, where the First Lady visited, is an example of such a comprehensive effort. CPSD mobilized the entire community to make their schools healthier to support their children’s physical wellness and academic achievement. With leadership from the Superintendent, Board of Education, parents, students and community leaders, Clinton made healthy schools a top priority and implemented district-wide changes to bring physical activity and nutritious choices to students – all without additional funding.

In 2008, the Clinton School District performed a district-wide assessment of all aspects of school wellness through school health councils and the child nutrition director for the district. From the assessment, the district formed a plan to provide healthier school environments across the district through coordinated school health programming, which encouraged each school to form a school health council with students, parents, faculty, and community members.

Clinton then implemented a district-wide wellness policy that paved the way for its community to get involved in the effort to build healthier schools.

•          Clinton school cafeterias offer Grab-N-Go lunches in school cafeterias as a healthy, affordable alternative to lunches brought from home.
•          The district held a “Taste of CPSD” healthy recipe contest for students and brought in a professional chef to train child nutrition employees to get kids, parents, and employees excited about cooking and eating healthy foods.
•          Clinton also partnered with the Mississippi Department of Education and the Bower Foundation on the statewide “Move to Learn” campaign with the goal of increasing physical activity in classrooms.

In 2011, a health and wellness goal was added to Clinton Public School District’s strategic plan, making the health and wellness of its students and employees one of the district’s top five strategic plan goals, as important as academic achievement, recruiting and retaining great teachers and providing safe, technology friendly facilities. Today there are a number of programs and activities in place throughout the school district to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Clinton’s schools were able to increase fruits and vegetables for student meals, ensure that nutrition education was taught in the classroom, and incorporate physical activity throughout the school day.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Jannette L. Dates – Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Geoffrey R. Pyatt - Ambassador to Ukraine, Department of State

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Teresa Isabel Leger – Member, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
• Stephen L. Mayo – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation

President Obama said, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dr. Jannette L. Dates, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Dr. Jannette L. Dates was Dean of the Howard University School of Communications from 1993 to 2012.  Previously, she served as Associate Dean from 1987 to 1993, having first joined the University as an Assistant Professor in 1981.  From 1993 to 1998, she was a guest speaker on the National Public Radio shows, All Things Considered and On the Media.  From 1992 to 1993, she was a Freedom Forum Media Studies Center Fellow at Columbia University, and from 1979 to 1989, she was a panelist on Square Off.  Dr. Dates was an anchor and executive producer for the series The Negro in U.S. History from 1973 to 1974, and co-anchor on the weekly radio program North Star from 1972 to 1973.  She served as a member of the Baltimore Mayor’s Cable Communication Commission from 1988 to 1994. Dr. Dates received a B.S. from Coppin State College, an M.Ed. from the Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Nominee for Ambassador to Ukraine, Department of State
Geoffrey R. Pyatt, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.  From 2007 to 2010, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency and International Organizations in Vienna.  Prior to that, from 2002 to 2007, Mr. Pyatt served at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, first as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and then as Deputy Chief of Mission.  Before his assignment in New Delhi, Mr. Pyatt was an Economic Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002 and a Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan from 1997 to 1999.  In Washington, his assignments included Director for Latin America on the National Security Council staff (1996-1997) and Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (1995-1996).  Mr. Pyatt received a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and an M.A. from Yale University.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Teresa Isabel Leger, Appointee for Member, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Teresa Isabel Leger is a partner at Nordhaus Law Firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she has worked since 1989. Ms. Leger also serves as General Counsel to several Native American Tribes, including the Pueblos of Laguna, Santa Ana, and Santo Domingo.  Previously, she clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 1987 to 1989.  She is a member of the Historic Marker Selection Committee of the New Mexico International Women’s Forum Chapter, and is President of Homewise.  Ms. Leger has served on the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, Vice Chair of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and was a White House Fellow in 1995.  She received a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Dr. Stephen L. Mayo, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Stephen L. Mayo is Chair of the Division of Biology and Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).  He has been a member of the Caltech faculty since 1992, and in 2012, he was named the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation Division Chair.  He served as Caltech’s Vice Provost for Research from 2007 to 2010.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2010.  He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 and awarded the Johnson Foundation Prize for Innovative Research in Structural Biology in 1997.  Dr. Mayo received a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. from Caltech.

Statement from the President on the Confirmation of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense

With the bipartisan confirmation of Chuck Hagel as our next Secretary of Defense, we will have the defense secretary our nation needs and the leader our troops deserve.  From the moment he volunteered for military service in Vietnam, Chuck has devoted his life to keeping America secure and our armed forces strong.  An American patriot who fought and bled for our country, he understands our sacred obligations to our service members, military families and veterans.  

I will be counting on Chuck’s judgment and counsel as we end the war in Afghanistan, bring our troops home, stay ready to meet the threats of our time and keep our military the finest fighting force in the world.  Most of all, I am grateful to Chuck for reminding us that when it comes to our national defense, we are not Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans, and our greatest responsibility is the security of the American people.

White House Policy for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices

The President signed the White House Policy for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices today. The policy can be found here.