Michelle Obama to star in Disney health campaign

LOS ANGELES - First Lady Michelle Obama is to take a starring role in a new health campaign by Disney aimed at getting kids to adopt healthier lifestyles, the entertainment conglomerate announced Thursday.

The multimedia initiative, to be called Disney Magic of Healthy Living, will include stars from the Disney Channel like Nick Jonas and Brenda Song showcasing what the company called “fun, easy ways that healthy living practices can be woven into the fabric of everyday life”.

The campaign comes as the US battles unprecedented childhood obesity. Ironically, many child health advocates blame the phenomenon on relentless advertising for unhealthy products fast-food restaurants, ice cream and sugary breakfast cereals on supposedly kid-friendly channels like Disney.

Disney said its initiative would focus on nutrition, health care and fitness and would run for a year on company platforms such as Disney Channel, Radio Disney, Disney.com and ABC, as well as other networks. Disney launched new websites and a national essay contest related to the campaign.

Disney embarked on a healthy food initiative in 2006 that aimed to leverage the popularity of its brands by associating with nutritionally balanced foods. These included Disney-branded products in supermarkets, healthy lifestyle themes in its entertainment programming and healthier foods in its theme parks around the world.