October 13, 2009 - First Lady, speaking to employees and staff of the Health and Human Services says she
knows what it's like for working parents trying to give the family healthy meals. Suggests making small changes, that
lead to big results.
"And I know this feeling. You've had a long day at work -- you know, I remember this two years ago before we got
here. (Laughter.) While I was working and campaigning for my husband and trying to take care of two kids, I remember
coming home from a meeting or from an event just tired, tired and knowing that you're going home to an empty refrigerator,
and kids who are hungry and fussy, and not wanting to eat anything you have in mind. All they want is some pizza
and some burgers, right? And you don't want to argue. You want a peaceful meal. You want
everyone to be quiet and just eat.
"And it is in those moments, and for me there were many, where you just give in and just get that take-out. Get
them what they want. See "Drive-thru." It's like heaven. You drive through. It's quick, it's easy."
"As a mother of two little girls, and working mother at one time, in a job that gave me benefits - I can relate.
And oftentimes eating out is the cheaper alternative in many cases."
"So there was a time when I was living this life. And then I got a little tap on my shoulder from our kids' pediatrician
who basically said, "You know, you may want to look at changing the way your children are eating," because he could see the
effects. And I was shocked. I thought we all had our stuff together."
"But it's a little startling when somebody tells you you need to, you know, rethink things. So you just try to
figure out, well, where do you begin, what do you change, how can you change things? But what I found was that if we
start small and not try to bite off too much, if we just added a few more fruits and vegetables into every single meal, if
we cut down on sugary drinks and processed fruit -- foods, that we could see some changes. And one of the things we
tried not to ever do was be totally rigid; you know, just make kids so afraid of vegetables -- that they would never,
ever want to enjoy a meal."
"But we worked on achieving moderation in our lives, teaching our kids about different types of foods, and what they
do to their bodies, and eventually we got into a routine that worked for our family. And the biggest challenge was just
figuring out where to start, and not letting it overwhelm you, or me. I'm talking to myself now."
"And I think a lot of families out there feel that way. They'd like to do things differently. They know there's
a problem. But when you're already overwhelmed with so much, with work and bills and everything on your plate, it's
really hard to sort through all of the information that's out there to figure out how do you fundamentally change things in
a way that's going to benefit your family."
"But here's this thing. So much research has been done on these issues. And a lot of it has been done by
people who work right here. All of you have been working on these issues for so long. (Applause.) And part
of the message that we're trying to impart nationally is that parents, families don't have to do this all by themselves.
You know, they have all of you, they have all of us. We can offer them the tools and the information that they need
to help them make the best decisions for their family."
"That's why Congress and the President included $1 billion for prevention and wellness programs in the Recovery Act –-
(applause) -- and that includes funding for initiatives that will give communities the resources they need to address the
obesity epidemic in their communities. This includes $373 million announced last month that would be available for communities
that put together comprehensive plans to reduce obesity –- $373 million -- and that would include everything from incentivizing
grocery stores to locate in underserved areas; it could include improving meals at school; to getting more healthy, affordable
foods into vending machines; to creating more safe, accessible places for people to exercise and play; and a whole lot more."
"But in the end, of course, our government and our communities, as you all know, we can only do so much. There's
only so much policy and even money can do. And no grant program can sit at the dinner table with a child, right, and
convince them to eat what they're supposed to eat. But we say in my household, "Just eat it."
"You're not going to like it. Just finish it." Get on with it."
"No grant program can make sure that the kids step away from the TV and set down those videogames and figure out a way
to move their bodies. Ultimately all of that is up to parents and families. Ultimately we're the ones who influence
our kids."
"But there's good news: I've learned that, again, little changes can make a big difference.
Little changes can make a big difference. Simply adjusting how we eat, like trying to cook one or two meals at home
each week -- not every week, that's crazy -- but one or two meals; switching from soda to water -- pretty
simple; adding a vegetable or a fruit to a dinner plate, making that more the meal than the meat or the rice;
and paying a little more attention to what's on the labels -- again, not totally evaporating your way of being as you know
it today, just little changes -- and finding a way to get more exercise into all of our lives, including
our kids. Walking instead of driving. Standing in front of the TV instead of sitting. Small things.
But all of this truly could have noticeable effects. Small things."
"We can change the way that we see ourselves, our relationship with food and exercise, and we can pass
on a whole 'nother set of habits to our children. Their fate isn't set yet. We still have everything in our power,
because the other beautiful thing is that kids change quickly. Their habits are easily broken. They are so malleable,
and they're waiting for the right information, the right opportunities, and once they have it, they just go."
"We've seen it with the children that we work with in the gardens. Many of the children in the public
schools, they take this information, they understand it, they apply it to their lives, and they push their parents and their
families to be different. That's one of the reasons why we start with kids oftentimes. They are ready for change
sometimes when we're not."
"So, I know that working together we can get this done. I want to thank you for your passion,
for your commitment. It has been a pleasure to be here. I will be back soon. And get healthy!"
Thank you.
