Being overweight as a kid isn't easy. From childhood obesity ads that may have gone too far to parents losing their morbidly obese kids to foster care, there's a lot of turmoil these days. To help combat the juvenile obesity epidemic that's affecting 32% of the population in Puerto Rico, native Reggaeton duo Edgardo Y D'niel have signed on to be spokesmen for the "A moverse" campaign.
"A moverse", the Spanish version of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids, aims to motivate children and teens to exercise in order to have a healthier life.
This is definitely a good first step. The artists will visit more than 180 public schools in Puerto Rico to help both parents become aware of the importance of physical activity for their children as well as to teach the kids how to move more. But will it be enough?
With Paula Deen's diabetes diagnosis still fresh on my mind, I wonder if simply saying "more exercise" is the only solution. In my family, we barely ate our vegetables when I was a kid. Dinner consisted of fast food favorites like McDonald's and Taco Bell when my parents were busy working or some delicious arroz con frijoles and steak when my mom had time to cook a Cuban favorite. Now I know that eating a balanced meal is important to keep the weight off, but will Edgardo Y D'niel be teaching kids better eating habits, too?
I'm hoping that their support of the campaign will draw more attention to childhood obesity, particularly in Spanish-speaking nations where rice and beans are the only accepted grain and vegetables.
Are you glad to see the fight against childhood obesity coming to the much-affected Puerto Rico?
Image via Edgardo y D'niel/flickr
