First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the Winter Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors on January 20 in Washington, D.C., announcing the launch of her childhood obesity initiative to commence in February 2010, which will mobilize federal and local resources in an effort to promote healthier communities for children to grow. Through her initiative, Mrs. Obama hopes to create "healthy schools," where children receive nutritious meals and have more opportunities for physical activity.

In her speech, Mrs. Obama also conveyed an urgent message to mayors across the country to take powerful political strides in their cities in the fight against childhood obesity. She identified childhood obesity as one of the greatest threats to our country right now, particularly due to its negative effects on the population's health, the American economy and individuals' quality of life. Mrs. Obama even shared with the audience her personal struggle with making healthy choices for her children.

Several mayors were individually recognized during the speech for their remarkable efforts to combat obesity, including Mayor Cluck of Arlington, Tex.; Mayor Hindman of Columbia, Mo.; Mayor Walker of Bowling Green, Ky.; Mayor Rybak of Minneapolis, Minn.; Mayor Curtatone of Somerville, Mass.; and Mayor Cornett of Oklahoma City, Okla. Mayor Darwin Hindman, an award winner at the 2009 Childhood Obesity Prevention Conference sponsored by Leadership for Healthy Communities (LHC), was recognized for his program GetAbout Columbia, which created a comprehensive system of walkways and bikeways throughout the city. Another LHC champion, Mayor Robert Cluck, was praised for his efforts to increase children's physical activity by providing them with pedometers to count their steps.  Mrs. Obama believes that local solutions can help to "empower families and communities to make healthy decisions for their kids."

On January 28, Mrs. Obama, along with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, released The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation.  The report highlights the alarming trend of overweight and obese Americans and asks them to join her in a grassroots effort to commit to changes that promote the health and wellness of families and communities.  Strategies recommended in the report include improving communities, creating a healthy home environment and creating healthy schools.

For a full transcript of Mrs. Obama's speech at the Winter Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, please visit www.usmayors.org, and to access the Surgeon General's report, please visit www.surgeongeneral.gov.