February 2015 marks the fifth anniversary of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative. The First Lady got her husband, President Barack Obama, in on the celebration this week, with a video of the pair asking Americans to share their favorite five ways to stay fit.
"I'm going to ask folks across the country to #GimmeFive," she said to her husband, as the hashtag for social media posts flashed across the bottom of the video. "I want kids, parents, maybe even a few celebrities to give me five ways to be healthy."
Michelle Obama suggested trying five new vegetables or working five healthy habits into a daily routine, while the president dropped to the ground for a push-up.
Since the video was posted on Monday, the First Lady's Twitter account has retweeted #GimmeFive posts from celebrities Ryan Seacrest and Jack Johnson.
Seacrest, a radio personality and long-time host of American Idol, shared a video of himself working out while the theme from "Rocky" played in the background.
Johnson, a singer known for hits like "Better Together," shared #GimmeFive advice about surfing, encouraging followers to "catch 5 waves" with friends.
Hailed this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of the most effective and passionate responses to the America's childhood obesity epidemic, "Let's Move!" aims to encouraging healthy habits in children by providing educational resources for parents and caregivers and working to improve access to healthy, affordable food.
However, just as the Obamas' new #GimmeFive video already has dozens of negative comments posted on its YouTube page, the program has plenty of critics.
A 2013 Buzzfeed article explored the backlash that rose to meet the "Let's Move" initiative with each new program announcement, noting that, for some Americans, the campaign feels like a government overreach into the lives of its citizens.
"Let's Move" ignored critiques by charging forward, expanding its efforts with programs like "Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties" and "Let's Move! Faith and Communities."
And its goal as announced by the White House on Feb. 9, 2010 to solve "the challenge of childhood obesity" is far from reached. On Tuesday, The Washington Post's "Wonkblog" noted that the average weight of an American child has risen by more than 11 pounds in the last three decades. Michelle Obama's work with the initiative can be expected to continue at least as long as her husband is in office.
"I'm going to ask folks across the country to #GimmeFive," she said to her husband, as the hashtag for social media posts flashed across the bottom of the video. "I want kids, parents, maybe even a few celebrities to give me five ways to be healthy."
Michelle Obama suggested trying five new vegetables or working five healthy habits into a daily routine, while the president dropped to the ground for a push-up.
Since the video was posted on Monday, the First Lady's Twitter account has retweeted #GimmeFive posts from celebrities Ryan Seacrest and Jack Johnson.
Seacrest, a radio personality and long-time host of American Idol, shared a video of himself working out while the theme from "Rocky" played in the background.
Johnson, a singer known for hits like "Better Together," shared #GimmeFive advice about surfing, encouraging followers to "catch 5 waves" with friends.
Hailed this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of the most effective and passionate responses to the America's childhood obesity epidemic, "Let's Move!" aims to encouraging healthy habits in children by providing educational resources for parents and caregivers and working to improve access to healthy, affordable food.
However, just as the Obamas' new #GimmeFive video already has dozens of negative comments posted on its YouTube page, the program has plenty of critics.
A 2013 Buzzfeed article explored the backlash that rose to meet the "Let's Move" initiative with each new program announcement, noting that, for some Americans, the campaign feels like a government overreach into the lives of its citizens.
"Let's Move" ignored critiques by charging forward, expanding its efforts with programs like "Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties" and "Let's Move! Faith and Communities."
And its goal as announced by the White House on Feb. 9, 2010 to solve "the challenge of childhood obesity" is far from reached. On Tuesday, The Washington Post's "Wonkblog" noted that the average weight of an American child has risen by more than 11 pounds in the last three decades. Michelle Obama's work with the initiative can be expected to continue at least as long as her husband is in office.
