Freedom-loving Americans may cringe at the idea of allowing the president’s unelected wife to tell them what they can and cannot eat, but the National Restaurant Association (NRA) says first lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity initiative is one that they are embracing.
The New York Times reported this week that for the past year a group of Mrs. Obama’s advisers have been holding private meetings with the NRA in order to get them to encourage restaurants to bend to the first lady’s desire for smaller portions and healthier options for kids’ meals. The NRA is a trade organization that represents a diverse range of food service entities, from large chains to mom and pop restaurants to school cafeterias. They cannot legally order their members to do anything, but they can urge them to embrace certain initiatives.
While some might have visions of George Niedermeyer beating Omega Theta Pi pledges with a paddle as they cry “Thank you sir, may I have another?” NRA spokeswoman Sue Hensley told The Daily Caller the experience with the first lady has actually been a relatively pleasant one.
“She’s been very public about saying she wants to see the industry do more and I think we have a lot of the same goals,” Hensley said. “There have been a lot of positive trends in the industry that I think the first lady recognizes and some which we have shared with her about trends toward healthier offerings.”
In September the first lady spoke before the NRA’s board of directors to address her concerns and possible solutions. Hensley said the speech was well received.
“It was a challenging speech but it wasn’t a critical or negative or blame placing speech. It was very positive. I think we do share the same goals and we want to meet these goals,” she said.
Though the NRA has been working hard to bring health into the equation, Justin Wilson, senior research analyst at the Center for Consumer Freedom, told TheDC it is always a balancing act between, taste, health and cost.
“It is clear that more American consumers are demanding healthy options,” said NRA President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. “The restaurant industry is responding to consumers’ preferences by providing options for their tastes and dietary needs. Offering more menu choices, cooking with healthier ingredients, and providing nutrition information for guests are just a few of the ways restaurants are answering consumers’ interest in more healthful food options.”
Wilson says that the real question will be whether the first lady and her minions get the healthiness they so desire via restrictive mandates or an expansion of choice. According to Hensley, the trend seems to be toward choice.
“We have been very heartened by — from a restaurant point of view — the fact that she is taking a holistic look at health, wellness, and nutrition, not just trying to place blame,” she said, “but actually looking at what are the root causes of obesity and how can you impact that? And I think from a restaurant industry perspective, we feel very strongly that there should be choice and nutritious choices for consumers.”
Obama and the NRA are still far from a resolution, but as the first lady celebrates the one year anniversary of her anti-obesity “Let’s Move” campaign kick-off this week, it is certainly an issue that will be on the table as long as the Obamas occupy the White House.