FLOTUS "Let's Move"

The First Lady has created a healthy campaign targeting childhood obesity called "Let's Move."

Walmart has started with a healthy foods campaign just this week (the event was ceremoniously held at THEARC in Congress Heights).  Teaming up FLOTUS with Michelle Obama as a vocal partner, the team announced a nationwide initiative to reduce sugar and sodium in their house brand foods as well as eliminate the cost premium for their healthier options.

This initiative sounds like a clear winner and exactly a viable solution that could alleviate the rampant food desert that exists south of the Anacostia River.  (The 2008 Farm Bill defines a food desert as an "area in the US with limited access to affordable and nutritious food.")

Many activists are pushing for independent grocery stores to solve the food desert issue that is prevalent in underserved parts of the city.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture report that 13 percent of DC households have a limited ability to acquire healthy food economically.   However, it appears that many of the residents in these low-income enclaves want easy access to full-service grocery store that the wealthier neighborhoods have.

How about Giant and Safeway.  Only 16 percent of grocery stores are located east of the Anacostia River.  I painfully know that. I am still delighted by the fact that a Super Giant opened down the road from me less than three years ago -- before this, I had to drive across the River or Maryland to go grocery shopping.

Even today, I personally know of people who have to spend several dollars to catch a metro and bus and expend over an hour commuting just to get fresh milk and eggs.  Frankly, this is uncalled for.

And in many ways, Wal-Mart might be the best solution for the inner cities to close this inexcusable chasm of healthy and affordable food.

Photo by "And Now Anacostia"

Proposed Wal-Mart sites (From DCist)

Wal-Mart wants to open stores in areas that is not served by a local grocery store.  This move may affect local Mom and Pop stores, but this may be the lesser of two evils.

I definitely want to commend Wal-Mart for working w/ the First Lady in the Let's Move campaign to eliminate childhood obesity.

So yes,  perhaps Wal-Mart has engaged in labor and pricing practices that you may not agree with.  And yes, if you feel that way, you are welcomed to remind them of this.  But we should also discuss and negotiate how Wal-Mart can narrow this great divergence in jobs, wages and "affordable nutritious food" that exists in Southeast DC, and yes, even in my own backyard.