The Hill News

First lady Michelle Obama is urging restaurant owners to consider "reformulating" menus to address childhood obesity.



In a speech Monday morning to the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C., Obama called on restaurants to offer a wider variety of "healthy choices" as part of her "Let's Move!" campaign.

"I'm not asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to totally change the way you do business," she said. "But what I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love."

She praised restaurant owners for their role in "our own lives and in the life of our nation."


"You’re responsible for one-third of the calories our kids get on a daily basis," she said. "The choices you make determine what’s listed on the menus, what’s advertised on billboards and what’s served on our plates."
 
She later gave examples of how restaurants could promote greater health, saying some dishes could be prepared with less butter or cream and that portion sizes could be reduced.

"Right now, many restaurants ... are serving more low-fat dishes, whole grain breads, fruit on the side. Some are even offering kid-size portions of the meals they serve on the main menu. And chefs across the country are partnering with local schools to help them make healthy choices. 

"But as positive as these examples are, the reality is it’s just not enough," she added. "Together, we have to do more. We have to go further."