Michelle Obama Singles Out Arlington Schools In Speech
WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - First Lady Michelle Obama has praised the efforts of a North Texas school district to combat childhood obesity during a speech in Washington.
Mrs. Obama was promoting her "Let's Move!" fitness campaign during a National League of Cities conference in Washington on Tuesday. She cited the example of the Arlington Independent School District, which provided pedometers to students and challenged them to walk as much as possible during school vacation.
The First Lady told participants that the winner had taken 6.8 million steps.
Last year Mayor Robert Cluck kicked off the "Let's Move!" program in Arlington that involved more than 4,500 fifth-grade students.
During her speech the First Lady said that obesity isn't just a medical issue, it's an economic one. "You know childhood obesity is already affecting your communities, weighing down your budgets, hampering economic growth," Mrs. Obama said.
"Let's Move!" is an initiative set out to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity. With the help of the public and private sector, the program provides schools, families and communities with the tools to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy.
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