Michelle Obama Schools Food Companies on Kids' Obesity

Michelle Obama used a litle guilt tactic, appealed to CEOs' concerns about health care costs and pointed the finger multiple times at food companies who contribute to the problem of childhood obesity.

But in a speech to big food companies like Coca-Cola Co. and Kraft Foods Inc., she stopped short of saying government mandates are the answer to changing the products these firms make. Obama is touting her Let's Move campaign that targets childhood obesity.

"Our kids sometimes are bombarded by ads for unhealthy products. And many folks in this country are struggling to find foods that are both healthy for their kids but affordable for their families," the first lady said to a meeting of the industry trade group Grocery Manufacturers Association of America in Washington. "You all produce much of the food that our children eat – and have marketed to them - each day. The decisions you make determine what’s in our grocery store shelves, what’s in our school lunches, and what’s in the thousands of advertisements our kids are exposed to each year."

Obama praised companies that are beginning to make their products healthier (Campbell Soup Co., for instance, is cutting salt in some items). But she warned the food makers that healthy campaigns aren't just about marketing.

"This isn’t about finding creative ways to market products as healthy. As you know, it’s about producing products that actually are healthy - products that can help shape the health habits of an entire generation," she said. Then she dropped a subtle reminder that the Food and Drug Administration is watching these companies.

"We need clear, consistent, front-of-the-package labels that give people the information they’ve been asking for, in a format that they understand. And I am so pleased that you all have committed to working with the FDA to develop these labels. We are so eager to hear your thoughts and ideas of getting this done right."

Doing it right means not leaving labeling decisions entirely up to the industry. A labeling program called Smart Choices was scrapped last year after companies decided to call Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs "smart choices" for healthy eating on the front of their boxes. Now, the food companies are working with the FDA on a new label criteria.

And using a little guilt and an appeal to the bottom-line concerns CEOs have about health care expenses, Obama reminded the food execs about the costs of obesity.

"Nearly one in three children in this country are now overweight or obese. And you all know the health consequences – from hypertension to heart disease, cancer to diabetes," Obama said. "And I know you’re well aware of the economic consequences: how we’re currently spending billions of dollars treating obesity-related conditions -costs that many of your companies pay in the form of rising health care expenses; expenses that will only continue to rise and affect your bottom lines if we fail to act."