First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Los Angeles
[UPDATED Feb. 1 | 4 p.m. PST: First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at local market Wednesday to promote healthy food choices in impoverished communities.]
The first lady’s visit comes as part of her campaign to bring healthy food to all Americans is happening neighborhood by neighborhood. "Let's Move!" is the Wife in Chief's initiative aiming to end obesity by creating a healthier environment for kids to grow up in.
"When we bring healthy food into our communities we're not just making this generation of kids healthier, but we're working on the next and the next and the next," Obama said.
The event showed changes made by Northgate Gonzales Markets to put more of an emphasis on healthy food retailing with the help of FreshWorks financing- a public-private financing effort. Northgate Markets have grown from one family-owned location to dozens across California that supply nutritious and fresh products to communities.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts accompanied the First Lady to an event showcasing the progress being made to give local communities access to healthier food alternatives. Community leaders from around L.A. attended the event, as well as Dr. Robert Ross, CEO of the California Endowment and Mayor Villaraigosa.
"Our families are facing hunger and obesity because the right kind of food is not available for the right price in the right place,” Villaraigosa said.
"We're a city of nine square miles about one-hundred-twenty-thousand residents. We need more quality food outlets," Butts added.
The First Lady arrived on Tuesday for a two-day visit. She appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to discuss the two-year anniversary of "Let's Move!," which is coming up early next month.
While in L.A., the First Lady also spoke at two Democrative National Committee events, the first being a fundraising reception Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Beverly Hills.
A visit to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is set to air on Thursday afternoon.
