Your post addresses a significant national problem and it includes good information and links.

As Maureen mentioned, the movie Food Inc. features some families who eat unhealthy food because they simply can’t afford the price of good food. I also recommend the movie The Future of Food, as well as the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is easy to start with the obesity problem in America, but keep researching, and you will find that we have a major food production problem in America–which contributes to high prices and low quality food.

Last year I took the “Food Stamp Challenge” initiated by members of Congress to highlight the problem that lower income families face when obtaining cheap, but nutritional food. I was allowed a weekly budget of $21. I teamed up with my roommate to do this, and the $42 split between us allowed us purchases of bulk food. However, I could not afford fruit and vegetables–with the exception of some kale.

The way that we eat not only affects our weight and health, it affects our cognitive ability. Food is fuel. I get frustrated that smokers face high health insurance costs, whereas people who eat crappy diets don’t. Poor nutrition contributes to as many, or more health problems as smoking, in my opinion: Cancer, high cholesterol, depression, allergies, learning disabilities, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, gallstones, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Thanks for addressing this stuff and stimulating good conversation.

Seeing children suffer from early onset diabetes along with joint pain, back problems, and low self-esteem is heartbreaking, and knowing the discrimination they will face at job interviews and the like scares me.

As a parent, it makes me furious in some cases as I do see it as an legally undefined form of child abuse.

After pregnancy and seeing relatives struggle with obesity, I know this world is not hospitable for those struggling with obesity and any information that would enable families to become fit would be helpful.

And what about communities? Can towns and counties make fitness part of their design? Has anyone?

This subject was tackled as media spectacle in my opinion on different talk and reality shows; I would appreciate substantive exploration of resources.

What is out there to help families? What can someone do to maybe start a fitness program in their communities? How can I help?

The most my community has been able to do was limit the number of fast food establishments, ban soda machines and cup-cakes from school property and activities, and fight to keep our P.E. classes in our schools.

Thank you again for choosing this topic!

The first lady should be commended for setting this agenda. I hope people will continue to pay attention and she will follow through as well.

And now that I’m older I know that mom was right. That stuff IS crap.