Updated: A previous version of this page included a video, which has since been removed
First lady Michelle Obama was in a dancing mood today to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her “Let’s Move” campaign, which aims to reduce obesity in U.S. youths.
Roughly 14,000 Iowa students from grades 6 through 9 joined in on the festivities with Ms. Obama today, according to the Let’s Move Twitter account.
To commemorate the two-year anniversary of “Let’s Move,” Ms. Obama and the students in attendance all did the “Interlude Dance,” created and popularized by students at the University of Northern Iowa. (There’s a video of Ms. Obama’s “Interlude” performance at the bottom of this post, via the Des Moines Register. It’s a must-watch.)
Also on hand at today’s event: A birthday cake made entirely of fruit.
Today marked the first day of a three-day trip to promote “Let’s Move” across the country for Ms. Obama. She kicked off the celebration in Iowa due to the state’s commitment to become the healthiest state in the U.S. by 2016, as measured by Gallup.
“I am so proud of what you all are doing to make this the healthiest state by 2016,” she said at the event. “We want every single state in this country to do exactly what this state is doing. You are the model.”
In the two years since the launch of “Let’s Move,” considerable progress has been made in terms of raising awareness about the childhood obesity epidemic, experts say. In a blog post today, the Let’s Move blog details a number of the changes enacted, including the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in December 2010, the Clear Calorie Initiative from the American Beverage Association, and the launch of MyPlate, which replaced the trusty food pyramid as a guide for good nutrition.
Due to “Let’s Move,” childhood obesity is “getting into people’s conversations in ways that it would not have been if someone had not taken it on,” said Robert Blendon, a professor at Harvard, to the Associated Press.
And changes are continuing to be made, as evidenced by the recently released school lunch rules from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that call for more fruits and vegetables, less salt, and less fat.
Now, as promised... here’s footage of Ms. Obama getting her “Interlude” groove on today, via the Des Moines Register:
Photo: First lady Michelle Obama and Bob Harper of Biggest Loser, right in blue shirt, do the Interlude dance during a Let’s Move event with children from Iowa schools on Feb. 9 in De Moines, Iowa, during her three day national tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let’s Move. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)