First Lady Appeals to Governors for Help Tackling Child Obesity

First lady Michelle Obama told governors on Saturday that health care reform doesn't begin just on Capitol Hill; it needs to begin at home with children's health.

"There's no place for politics when it comes to fighting childhood obesity," she told governors at their winter meeting.

The National Governor's Association assembles in Washington every year to discuss issues that affect all of their states. This year's main theme is health care -- a topic at the heart of the first lady's new campaign on obesity.

"If we think our health care costs are high now, just wait until 10 years from now," she said. "Think about the many billions we're going to be spending then. Think about how high those premiums are going to be when our kids are old enough to have families of their own and businesses of their own."

Obama wanted to remind the state officials that childhood obesity was not a problem brought on by lazy children.

"Our kids didn't do this to themselves," she said. "Our kids didn't decide whether there's time for recess or gym class, or our kids don't decide what's served to them in the school cafeteria."

The governors represent a powerful audience to help Obama launch her new initiative, "Let's Move." But Obama stressed a low-cost approach to the problem, acknowledging the financial bind many of these states are in.

"If you're already paving a new road, for example, why not add a sidewalk or a bike path, too?" she said. "Or if you're already building a housing development, why not add a playground? If you've got school gyms or playing fields empty after hours, why not find a way to open them up to the community at night or on the weekends?"

The first lady was pushing common sense to make sure that the money and programs is there to keep kids healthy and using plans that are already in place as examples of what to do.

The first lady's campaign has four key components: helping parents make healthier choices for their kids, serving healthier food in the nation's schools, ensuring that all families have access to healthy, affordable food, and encouraging children to exercise more.

Obama's will appear on Mike Huckabee's Fox News show Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET to discuss her campaign.

Obama is hoping that with this program and with the governors remembering why they got into politics they can work together to combat the national health issue.

"So many of you got involved in politics in the first place -- to leave something better for those who are going to come after you," she said. "And in the end, that's what "Let's Move" is all about. It is simple. Let's stop wringing our hands and talking about it and citing statistics. Let's act. Let's move. Let's give our kids the future they deserve."