I applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to reduce childhood obesity  and was just delighted when I learned that she told corporate food giants that it’s time to market less junk food to our children.

In other words, though she didn’t say it directly, enough is enough.

This is what she said:  ”We can build shiny new supermarkets on every block, but we need those supermarkets to actually provide healthy options at prices people can afford. And we can insist that our schools serve better food, but we need to actually produce that food. And we can give parents all the information in the world, but they still won’t have time to untangle labels filled with 10-syllable words or do long division with these portion sizes. And that’s really where you come in.”

The first lady was speaking to Del Monte, General Mills, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola and other members of  the Grocery Manufacturers Association at a meeting in Washington.  Her request for some significant changes comes a month after she launched the Let’s Move initiative to end the country’s childhood obesity epidemic in a generation.

We’re in a crisis. Our children may have shorter lives than we do, and if nothing is done, they’ll also have more serious illnesses. At our house, my daughter and  I have given up refined sugar and junk food for Lent. We’re planning to continue that lifestyle, restricting desserts and other sugary foods. It won’t be easy. The refrigerator is already stocked with strawberries, pears and apples to satisfy the urges for a taste of sweetness.

I’m doing what I can to encourage my teenage daughter to cook and eat healthier foods. But the appealing advertising for junk food that appears on billboards and in television and radio commercials is a tough competitor. I’m waiting to see how the food manufacturers respond to the first lady’s challenge.

Each of us must step up and do something. Are you?

Related posts:

1. A food adventure begins
2. Me & Grandma: Teaching my daughter to cook