First Lady Michelle Obama announced her new initiative to fight childhood obesity on Tuesday, and it had the support of many Chicago-area food companies.
Tuesday morning, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to set the plan in motion, launching a 90-day plan to coordinate efforts of federal agencies and private-sector firms in the fight against obesity.
Among those private companies were a number of Chicago-area food producers, most prominently Kraft and Sara Lee, reports the Chicago Tribune. The companies' CEOs joined 38 others in signing an open letter to the First Lady supporting her initiative.
From the Tribune:
"Too many of our children are seriously overweight, and our companies stand ready to work with you to address this health crisis," they wrote in an open letter to the first lady.
In recent years, the executives noted, they "have changed the way we develop and market more than 10,000 products, reducing fat, trans fat, sugar, salt and calories without sacrificing the convenience and taste consumers demand."
Obesity has been one of Michelle Obama's signature issues. This initiative, called "Let's Move," is expected to focus on four main goals: increasing the number of healthy schools; getting kids more active; improving access to food and empowering consumers.