Michelle Obama says her fight against obesity isn’t about how kids look but their energy level

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First lady: Diet is key to children’s productivity

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama says her fight against childhood obesity isn’t about appearance but about whether kids have enough energy to be productive at school.

Speaking Wednesday at a forum sponsored by Newsweek magazine, Mrs. Obama said that every parent is familiar with the difference in a child’s behavior when a child has had a healthy meal and when he or she has eaten a lot of sugar.

Mrs. Obama calls “extreme” the idea of requiring warning labels on unhealthy foods. She says that it is more important to give parents information on the ingredients in sugary snacks and how many of them can safely be included in a child’s diet.