Dr. Palfrey Blogs About Let's Move! Campaign

"It will take a patient, concerted effort...to get this job done"
Dr. Judith Palfrey, who went to work at the White House on Sept 6th as Executive Director of First Lady Obama's Let's Move! campaign, has published her first post on the Let's Move! blog. A respected pediatrician, Palfrey joined Mrs. Obama at the White House on February 9, 2010, to launch the national initiative. In her blogpost, Palfrey reflects on the historic day, and says she is honored to be coordinating the First Lady's efforts.

To work with Mrs. Obama and her team, Palfrey went on leave from Harvard Medical School, where she is the T. Berry Brazelton Professor of Pediatrics. When Let's Move! was launched, Palfrey was the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Palfrey, above)

Let's Move! Together
By Dr. Judith Palfrey

In February of 2010, I had an experience that was the thrill of a lifetime. Standing with members of the President’s cabinet, Members of Congress, mayors from across the nation and leaders from the media, sports, entertainment, and business communities, I had the honor of representing the medical community at the launch of Let's Move! That day, the President signed a Presidential Memorandum creating the first ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity, and the First Lady explained how Let's Move! would reverse the trend of staggering increases in childhood obesity and restore our children's health within one generation.

Like everything else about Let's Move!, the launch was action oriented. First Lady Michelle Obama emphasized that Let's Move! is about great nutrition and activity, but she made clear that the name meant much more than an individual encouragement to be physically active. Let's Move! means we that we should not get stuck in our old ways. Let's Move! means that it’s up to us to join together to work on this problem.

The First Lady is calling on everyone to get involved. She knows that the American people are deeply committed to children and families and have the capacity to turn the tide for the better. Let's Move! calls on people (families, children and communities), the public society and private enterprise to work together in new ways and to find intersections of common interest that assure that our children have access to the best that our country can offer...delicious, healthy foods, open spaces, safe places to play and express themselves and loving adults to nurture and support them throughout their formative years.

The problem of childhood obesity is a difficult one and as the First Lady has pointed out we did not get into this situation overnight. It will take a patient, concerted effort and people working together to get this job done. I’m honored to help that effort as Executive Director of Let’s Move!

##

Check out the Let's Move! blog at Letsmove.gov.

*Photo from the American Academy of Pediatrics