Has Michelle Obama scrapped anti-obesity ‘Let’s Move’? campaign

Call it an anti-initiative for a second Obama term. Keith Koffler, of White House Dossier, notes (h/t Weasel Zippers):

First Lady Michelle Obama appears to have abandoned, at least for now, her oft-criticized ‘Let’s Move’ initiative to promote exercise and healthy eating among the nation’s youth, halting public appearances and statements related to the program.

Koffler notes that Obama hasn’t done much in the service of the campaign in more than four months, pointing out that her last hurrah was a video in early September welcoming children back to school with the promise of “healthy, delicious new choices” on the school lunch menu.

He previous efforts at selling exciting new school lunch possibilities were about as successful as her dead-in-the-water MyPlate food guide, spawning a thriving black-market junk food trade in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Ultimately, administrators there were forced to deep-six her vaunted lentil and brown rice cutlets and return to burgers and pizza.

Koffler observes that the well-intentioned campaign was criticized not only by conservatives, who assailed the First Lady’s M.O. as too dogmatic and intrusive, but by liberals who believed she was not forceful enough in taking on the food industry.

“Political contributions,” he writes, “may also have influenced Michelle’s decision to back off”:

According to the latest tallies at Opensecrets.org, the food industry contributed millions during the last election cycle to various political campaigns. In the presidential contest, Mitt Romney took about $2.1 million from the industry, while Obama received a little less than $1 million.

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