Michelle Obama to city leaders: My anti-obesity campaign can help economy

Obama’s focus on the fiscal side of fat comes as municipalities face layoffs, spending cuts, and high unemployment and as congressional leaders wrangle with the budget. She suggested that tackling childhood obesity shouldn’t be “something you get around to doing when you have the money, but as something that could affect whether you have the money in the first place.”

“So make no mistake about it: When we talk about childhood obesity, we’re talking about the workforce that you’re trying to build,” she said. “We’re talking about businesses that you’re trying to attract. We’re talking about the budgets that you’re trying to balance each and every day.”