Good move by First Lady to focus on eating habits of Americans

First Lady Michelle Obama has been in the news recently for her forays to local schools in the Washington, DC-area, but I really believe her outspokenness on healthy eating habits really has the potential to transform the country. I'm fully understanding her message because I recently began working with fitness guru Donna Richardson Joyner on the Isagenix cleansing system. The program calls for multiple cleanse days, and limiting meals to 500 to 600 calories a day. In 11 days, I've lost nine pounds on the program, and having to watch your calorie count, as well as drink upwards of 80 ounces of water a day, you get a real good sense of your body and what it requires. By Michelle doing front page stories in the New York Times on healthy cooking, and adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the daily diet, we can get a better handle on the obesity epidemic in this country. Some might see the creation of a vegetable garden on the White House lawns as a publicity stunt, but we are seeing efforts in urban areas to do the same, including Chicago. For African Americans, we definitely need this emphasis on food. A couple of months ago the Chicago Tribune did a story showing that black women are growing shorter due to obesity. We certainly know that the food decisions we make are having a negative impact on our health, whether it's diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, you name it. We spend a lot of time talking about social issues affecting African Americans, but it's clear that our health should be at the top of the list. We are seeing far too many of our family members, church members, neighbors and friends fight illnesses that can be prevented by wellness programs and health eating. But this also means we've got to fight the negative influences that are in abundance in our communities, namely liquor stores and fast food restaurants. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to find baked or grilled fish when I'm on the South Side of Chicago, only to be faced with nearly every sign that shouted, "Fried!" Am I saying fast food is wrong? No. But it might mean going with the healthy choices on the menu - salads and other items not high in fat - rather than that juicy burger with cheese and bacon. The efforts by Michelle Obama have gotten a lot of attention, but not nearly enough. If we're going to have town hall meetings in our neighborhoods dealing with police brutality and black-on-black crime, we need to confront the black-on-black violence happening at the dinner table.