Michelle Obama on kids complaining about school meals: ‘We are the adults in the room’

Former first lady Michelle Obama on Friday bashed critics who complain that kids don’t like the healthier food served under the school meal changes implemented during the Obama administration.

“How about we not let kids completely guide everything?” she said, speaking at the annual summit on childhood obesity for the Partnership for a Healthier America. “How about we stop asking kids how they feel about their food? Kids, my kids included, if they could eat pizza and french fries every day with ice cream on top and a soda, they would think they were happy, until they got sick.

“That to me is one of the most ridiculous things we talk about in this movement, that the kids aren’t happy. Well, you know what? Kids don’t like math, either. So what are we going to do, stop teaching math? We gonna cut history out because there are kids who are bored with history? We are the adults in the room, you know? They look to us. So let’s just stop with that. I’m good if kids are mad at me.”

As first lady, Obama took on combatting childhood obesity through her “Let’s Move” campaign and through backing legislation that made changes to meals and snacks offered by schools. Some students, both complimenting and complaining about the food in school cafeterias, have used the hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama to show pictures of their breakfasts and lunches.

Obama said Friday that she planned to continue to be involved in the cause.

The Trump administration this month delayed some regulations set to take effect on school meals, including a requirement to reduce sodium. It also delayed the implementation of menu labeling rules required under Obamacare, which also was delayed several times under the Obama administration. Food companies also have asked the Trump administration to delay an overhaul to nutrition labels.

When asked about the possibility about delaying the nutrition labels requirements, Obama replied: “Keep families ignorant. That’s all I’m hearing. You don’t need to know what’s in your food. You can’t handle that, mom. Just buy this, be quiet, spend your money … I would be highly insulted by that thought. You want to talk about nanny state and government intervention? You just buy the food and be quiet. You don’t need to know what’s in it. That’s essentially what a move like this is saying to you, mom.”

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