Tom Vilsack Quotes

Actions, such as the designation of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, spring from First Lady Michelle Obama's leadership of efforts to end childhood obesity within this generation.

I think Michelle Obama is on the right track with her Let's Move campaign to bring down childhood obesity. She and I come from the same state, Illinois, which is number four in the nation for obese children. One out of five Illinois children are considered obese. Not overweight, obese. And two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese.

We should not have our children going to school to learn how to become obese.

Fixing obesity is going to require a change in our modern relationship with food. I'm hopeful that we begin to see a turnaround in this childhood obesity epidemic.

Michelle Obama. She is big on encouraging kids to eat healthy - which is great.

Let's face it, we really did need something like this in this country to fight childhood obesity.

We must not constantly talk about tackling obesity and warning people about the negative consequences of obesity. Instead we must be positive - positive about the fun and benefits to be had from healthy living, trying to get rid of people's excuses for being obese by tackling the issue in a positive way.

With the chronic obesity in America, it's more important than ever to not only feed kids healthy foods but to teach them how to make healthy choices on their own.

Promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging fitness are so important for our children's development and reducing the nation's epidemic of childhood obesity.

When I saw contestants fighting for their lives on 'The Biggest Loser,' I realized I just wanted to be healthy - to have fun playing soccer with my son or teaching my daughter to shoot hoops. Then it was so much easier to say no to carbs, soda, or dessert, and the weight just came off.

My experience as a school nurse taught me that we need to make a concerted effort, all of us, to increase physical fitness activity among our children and to encourage all Americans to adopt a healthier diet that includes fruits and vegetables, but there is more.

I want to encourage people to make healthy life choices, whether it's training for a half-marathon, or eating more vegetables.

The rate of childhood obesity is just ridiculous. Anytime I can get involved with teaching them how to get physical exercise, I want to help in any way possible.

The bottom line is that there is a lot more that could and should be done to help people with nutrition and exercise.

Children don't really understand the concept of health. You can't give them an apple and say 'if you eat this you will be healthy when you're older' because they don't understand. You have to find a different way to motivate them.

Parents and kids know they should pass up the fries for an apple and exchange the video game for a game of tag - but knowing and doing are certainly different things.

Our 'convenience culture' translates into too-available entertainment options, fast food, sedentary transportation, and the like. The fact is, if you want to eat right and live a healthy lifestyle, you have to work at it.

I don't have slim children. I have hearty ones.

I spend so much of my day at work. I would like to have the workplace be part of a healthier strategy. Reminding me more about walking the steps rather than taking that elevator. Not just promoting healthier food in the cafeteria, but providing information on healthier choices. I use it when I look at the alternatives.

More than ever, we as parents and a nation must do something about the growth of obesity in our children. We must do more than just talk, we must be concerned enough to act.

I would love to speak with First Lady Michelle Obama about the addictive component of obesity.

There's no reason that America should be No. 1 in obesity; we have the greatest country in the world.

I know what I have to do if I want to lose weight and stay healthy: eat a proper diet and exercise. All I've got to do is apply it.

It's challenging, but you have to at least try to eat right and exercise.

I just try to keep healthy more so than trying to be thin.