Michelle Obama, Wal-Mart announce healthy food campaign - story and pics

[Kadie]

Michelle Obama, Wal-Mart announce healthy food campaign

By Debbi Wilgoren and Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, January 20, 2011; 10:50 AM

First lady Michelle Obama joined Wal-Mart executives at a Southeast Washington community center Thursday morning to announce a campaign by the low-priced retail giant to offer more healthful foods and push its suppliers to do the same.

Obama has made fighting childhood obesity and increasing nutritious food options in poor neighborhoods a top priority. She will join Wal-Mart, which recently announced plans to open its first stores in the District, to announce "a major initiative to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food choices," Wal-Mart said.

snip...
Wal-Mart said it will make thousands of the packaged food items that it sells more healthful over the next four years, make healthful food choices more affordable and more clearly labeled, build more stores in underserved areas and increase its charitable donations to nutrition programs.

The plan includes reducing sodium and sugar in some items, lowering prices on produce and developing a logo so customers can more easily identify healthful items.

"No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford," Bill Simon, president and chief executive of Walmart U.S., said in a statement posted on the company's Web site. "With more than 140 million customers each week, Walmart is uniquely positioned to make a difference by making food healthier and more affordable to everyone."

more...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/20/AR2011012001581.html?wprss=rss_business


First lady Michelle Obama takes part in Wal-Mart's announcement of a comprehensive effort to provide healthier and more affordable food choices to their customers, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, in Washington.« Read less (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)


Wal-Mart President and CEO Bill Simon looks on as First lady Michelle Obama takes part in Wal-Mart's announcement of a comprehensive effort to provide healthier and more affordable food choices to their customers, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, in Washington.(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

[108]

1. somewhere Palin is shreeking

Ms Obama and her favorite store in cahoots to force nutrition on folks!!!!!

[Kalyke]

5. I'm shrieking because Ms. Obama IS in cahoots with this

wage-killing, American-job-reducing company.

[leveymg]

2. Michelle is diluting her moral and political capital by this implicit endorsement of Wal*Mart

Of course, she and her White House handlers realize what Wal*Mart symbolizes -- China, Inc.; the corporate destruction of Main Street retail; a giant anti-union shop moving in on the unionized grocery industry.

This is just another step in the disintegration of the Obama Presidency and sell-out of the Right-wing of the Democratic Party to global corporations.

Extremely unappetitizing, no matter the "health-conscious" spin they put on it.

[Ron Green]

3. +1

And I'm always dismayed by the Wal*Mart apologists on this very site who trot out the "...but poor people have no other choice" b.s.

[ZombieHorde]

4. Hahahaha! nt

[Brickbat]

6. Oh. There are better ways to go about this than celebrate Wal-Mart.

Yikes.