He said WHAT????

I’m annoyed. I’m annoyed because I would like someone, anyone, to rationally explain to me how Michelle Obama’s quest to educate people on better nutrition for our children is a bad thing. Someone? Anyone? The statistics don’t lie. In the last three decades, childhood obesity has tripled! The numbers are even higher for minorities where 40% of Hispanic and African American children are obese. These numbers are frightening. These skyrocketing statistics hurt ALL OF US, whether you lean left or right. Michelle Obama decided that this would be her cause. She started the “Let’s Move” (www.letsmove.gov) initiative which goal is to help raise a healthier generation. The movement seeks to help educate parents, children and schools on ways that we can turn the tide on this frightening trend of obesity in children.

From Day 1 of launching this initiative there has been nothing but criticism. Sarah Palin, started the negative ball rolling by touting repeatedly that government has no business telling her what she can feed her children. She reminds me of a jr. hi girl with all of her drama and exaggeration. For crying out loud, the initiative isn’t banning foods. The initiative isn’t taking away parental choice. The purpose is to EDUCATE people that there is a healthier way to feed our children. It aims to EDUCATE people that our food choices matter. Our children today spend more time sitting in front of screens than being outside MOVING. Again, I ask how can backing an initiative that promotes healthy eating and exercise be WRONG?

My Mother was terrible at providing us with healthy eating choices. To this day, I am addicted to Coca Cola because there was no limit on how much I could consume as a child. Maybe if it hadn’t been so readily available for consumption during my formative years, I wouldn’t have such a hard time going a day without it. I don’t even remember us really having real fruit juice in the house. Sure, I remember TANG, the preferred drink of astronauts, but seriously, there is more sugar in that than Coke. Thankfully, my Mother loved milk, so that is still something I enjoy today, and which probably is the reason that I had SOME Vitamin D in my system (although .2 isn't that high of a reading). I’m not saying my Mother is to blame for all my poor eating habits, but she certainly didn’t help. I strongly believe it is because she wasn’t educated in such things. We rarely, if ever, were we given fresh fruits and vegetables. We had plenty of meat and potatos and gravy, but I think I was 10 before I had my first tossed green salad (thank you Grandma C!). To my Mother’s defense, a lot of this was due to economics. Canned vegetables were a lot more economical than fresh back then, and more available. My mother believed that a PopTart with a glass of milk was a balanced breakfast–after all that is what the commercial said. You get the idea...I digress, back to Lets Move.

Today, Rush Limbaugh has been all over the news criticizing Michelle Obama and her waistline. I’m ready to blast the guy. On his radio show on Monday he said:

I'm trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, or of a woman [professional baseball player] Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you. I mean, women are under constant pressure to look lithe, and Michelle My Belle is out there saying if you eat the roots and tree bark and the berries and all this cardboard stuff you will live longer, be healthier and you won't be obese. Okay, fine, show us.

So apparently, according to Mr. Limbaugh if a woman isn’t a size 2 she isn’t following good nutrition. WHAT??? Oh and I have read the “Let’s Move” website and I don’t believe it says we should only eat tree bark, berries and cardboard stuff. I believe that it encourages balanced eating heavy on fresh fruits and vegetables and light on processed sugar foods. It should also be noted that Mrs. Obama has never suggested that ALL junk food should be eliminated from our diets. Instead she has advised to eat in moderation. For instance, limiting desserts from an every day thing to special occasions.

Today it continues with Limbaugh taking aim again saying:

These were highly civil comments for crying out loud. I mean, people are going nuts. USA Today, the Politico. And some people were suggesting that my comments were below the belt. Well, take a look at some pictures. Given where she wears her belts. I mean, she wears them high up there around the bust line. Isn't just about everything about her below the belt when you look at the fashion sense she has?

How dare he criticize a woman that is an amazing example of a healthy woman. She may not be a size 2, but I look to her as a healthy example of how a woman my age should look. She isn’t a bean pole, she is well proportioned, and has muscle tone I dream of having. Mr. Limbaugh, at least she can find her waist you big blow bag. Let’s compare the two of you:

 

 

 

Yup, you are right, how dare she say anything about nutrition and fitness. She is such a mess.  Really, we should follow Rush's example.  He just SCREAMS fitness and nutrition!