First lady promotes fitness for babies

WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Visiting a Washington day-care center Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama expanded her youth fitness campaign to toddlers.

For her "Let's Move! Child Care" drive, Obama released a checklist to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

The list includes one to two hours of daily physical activity, outdoors when possible; no screen time for children under 2 years and strict limits thereafter; fruits or vegetables at every meal, and no fried foods; lots of water but no sugary drinks, and support for breastfeeding.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied Obama on her lunchtime visit to CentroNia, a bilingual child care center.

"Everyone is going to see that these small changes can make a big difference. If our kids get into the habit of getting up and playing, if their palates warm up to veggies at an early age, and if they're not glued to a TV screen all day, they're on their way to healthy habits for life," the first lady said.

She said child care centers present "a tremendous opportunity" to stem rising childhood obesity.