Obama Announces Creation of Childhood Obesity Task Force

First lady appeared on ‘GMA' Tuesday to discuss "Let's Move" campaign

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/9/2010 10:15:44 AM

Look for food marketing to get renewed scrutiny in Washington.

President Obama Tuesday (Feb. 9) announced the creation of a childhood obesity task force and gave it 90 days to come up with an action plan and "a generation" to solve the problem through a "coordinated federal response."

The task force will be chaired by Lawrence Summers, assistant to the president for economic policy.

While there was no mention of involvement by the Federal Communications Commission or the Federal Trade Commission, the task force will include the heads of whatever agencies the chair chooses, along with the heads of the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education, OMB and others.

The issue also has the attention of the First Lady, who has made it a priority through a national "Let's Move" campaign. "She will encourage involvement by actors from every sector -- the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, as well as parents and youth -- to help support and amplify the work of the Federal Government in improving the health of our children," the president wrote.

Michelle Obama appeared on Good Morning America Tuesday to talk about the issue

Childhood obesity puts a strain on the healthcare system, the president pointed out in a memo to the heads of all departments and agencies including the FCC and FTC.

"We must act now to improve the health of our nation's children and avoid spending billions of dollars treating preventable disease," the president wrote.

Under pressure from the FTC, food marketers came up with their own guidelines for producing and marketing healthier products, limiting snack advertising and promoting healthier lifestyles. The FTC is currently vetting the results of that self-regulation.

A government-industry task force launched when the FCC was headed by Kevin Martin and included members of Congress and major food marketers and media executives failed to come to an agreement on strategies for addressing the issue.

The First Lady's message on fighting childhood obesity will be featured in NBCU's "The More You Know" public service campaign, according to the company.

NBCU is also kicking off its own "health week" in the spring, a multiplatform effort to promote better nutrition.