Notable Excerpts from Summit Plenaries

We are waiting, and waiting and waiting with other members of the press to be checked out by secret service so we can go down and hear Michelle Obama. In the meantime, thought I'd share some highlights from yesterday's speeches...

Doctor/Senator Bill Frist

Opportunities…now is the time. “I'll refrain from rattling off statistics” (yeah!)
He spoke of his interest in childhood obesity as a doctor, businessman, dad and public servant

This generation will not be healthier than the gen that preceded it…it is crushing budgets of employers via health care and lost productivity costs – those are big numbers, but it also
cost parents in time off to take care of kids

National security issue - military recruits can't pass fitness test and were too heavy to be trained (the military have to turn away volunteers that they desperately need). 4 star generals see obesity as a security threat, literally issued a report “Too Fat to Fight”

This trend is reversible- we can attack if we come together. What brings us together is not in our ideology or even our passion, but our practice... in our actions, not words

Good debate over the appropriate role of government (policies) I commend you for staying with that work -given paralysis/divisiveness.

Solution lies in partnerships broader than politics – bringing people together and focus on a single problem

Mission and focus is everything- the rest is just details

Making the healthy choice the easy choice, and showing that can be profitable-- then the market must follow

He cautioned companies, challenged them to do more than “empty press releases” because obesity is just too big, too dangerous and consumers are smart to be fooled by anything less than real commitments

He talked about mobilizing consumer demand to drive the market, calling for voluntary corporate action...not decree (?)

Time for creative solutions, bold leadership


Mayor Corey Booker speech

He is a GREAT story teller: “Nothing is impossible”

“Black people have been making a way out of no- way for a long time”

Will our generation meet its moment? We must do more than consume!

We cannot be that generation – that leaves future generations less educated, less healthy, less well off…
“Not on my watch”

We are standing here, with left and right, private and public, and we must come together

“We should not let our ability to do everything undermine our ability to do something”