Let’s Move! Recognition and Involvement

by Shaylauna  Burnett

Following the launch of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, the First Lady and the campaign in general received some harsh criticism. Arguably the most notable critic of the campaign was previous vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This past August, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported a decline in childhood obesity rates in low income families among 19 US states and territories. In a statement made by Michelle following the release of this data, she credits her Let’s Move campaign with this statistic. Furthermore, she addresses the number of different organizations associated with the campaign and noted that there’s still much work to be done. She also insists that every person has a role in creating a healthier life for future generations and that everyone can do their part to keep children healthy.

Citizens in the United States should be well aware by now that obesity has become a pressing issue among adults as well as children in recent years. All of the statistics have been made widely available and they are rather startling. Michelle Obama’s initiative not only addresses one of the most concerning elements of this issue, the fact that many young children are malnourished and are much more likely to struggle with obesity into adulthood, she holds every person accountable for the health of future generations of children whether they are directly associated with the issue or not. This campaign’s use of the situational theory of public relations is a call to action for not only the people who are most affected by childhood obesity (the parents of low income families), but suggests that there’s a little something that everybody can do to get involved with preserving the futures of the next generation.

In the situational theory of public relations, three different components are evaluated to determine when and how to reach the public with a certain issue. The first is problem recognition. The audience must be aware that there is a pressing issue at hand. The second is constraint recognition, which addresses how people interpret the obstacles associated with reaching a solution. The final element is the level of involvement, which takes into consideration how much people care about or are affected by the issue at hand.

This statement made by Michelle Obama utilizes situational theory by addressing an issue many Americans have already grown familiar with (obesity and its dangers to the health of young children, especially in low income families) and ties her own campaign to the hopes of a solution. She also calls for help from all American’s and suggests that while many states have made a positive change in the health of their children, it is the responsibility of every person to do their part in creating healthier generations of kids. One of the main pillars of the Let’s Move campaign deals with “improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods”. The first lady repeatedly lists this as an important step in creating healthier choices for young children from low income families because not only does it provide easier access to healthy foods for the people who are most affected by this issue (the parents and children of low income families) but it directly relies on the help from people who may have taken a passive approach to the issue previously, such as the food service industry.

Another example of Michelle Obama’s campaign utilizing the situational theory is a video posted on the Let’s Move campaign’s YouTube channel starring the First Lady, in which she not only credits her organization with the decline in childhood obesity rates, but one can’t help but notice what target audience she is aiming for and holding responsible for these statistics, and that’s just about everyone.

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