Michelle Obama is still on a mission to tackle child obesity and nutrition in this country. NBC News reports that the first lady is now the co-founder of PLEZi Nutrition, a company that will make and sell healthier food and drinks for kids.
The products are designed to be less detrimental to children’s long-term health due to the low sugar and higher nutrient content. “I’m proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not only to provide better products, but to jump-start what I hope will be a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry,” Obama said.
“I’ve learned that on this issue, if you want to change the game, you can’t just work from the outside,” Obama said. “You’ve got to get inside. You’ve got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry itself.”
Obama’s company is a continuation of the work she started in the White House with the “Let’s Move” campaign, which moved nutritious meals to schools and challenged food companies and restaurant chains to commit to lower sugar, lower salt and lower-calorie options.
PLEZi Nutrition couldn’t come at a better time. According to NPR, close to half of the young children in the United States do not have fruits and vegetables in their daily diets and consume excessive amounts of sugary drinks. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, said there is a movement in motion to change that.
“A wave of investment is now directed toward more nourishing and authentic foods,” Mozaffarian said. “We are not going to solve today’s nutrition crisis with yesterday’s solutions. It’s terrific to see a leader like first lady Michelle Obama in this innovation movement.”
Based in Washington, DC, Obama said the company is donating $1 million to an initiative by FoodCorps, a nonprofit organization that is working to assist the 50 million students in the country to receive education about nutrition and free school meals by 2030.