To show the Federal government was serious, some top-level federal executives gave rousing speeches on the virtues of exercise and “healthy choices.”
Leading off the speakers was Office of Personnel Management (OPM) John Berry to introduce the “Wellness Campaign” for federal workers. Mr. Berry is the Obama Administration's chief advisor on human resources issues for the nation's 1.9 million federal employees. Berry outlined a four part program: (1) Exercise (2) Nutrition (3) Healthy Choices (4) Wellness and Prevention.
Berry said there would be funding available for smoking cessation classes: “We want to help people get off the stick.”
Michelle Obama supported the event by a letter to the participants. The First Lady wrote that she had a scheduling conflict and could not appear. Her own prowess in athletics was noted at the rally by the name “Jumping Double Dutch Michelle,” referring to her recent demonstration of jumping with two ropes simultaneously.
“I know from my own experiences from my years as a mother that I can be most productive when I am active and eating right…It is up to us as individuals or as parents to make healthy choices for our selves and our family.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan pointed out the camaraderie element in fitness. “Fitness is a personal goal, but we all share the same struggle.” She praised the participants that came out in such bleak weather: “You are not sunshine athletes!”
Dr. Merrigan emphasized nutrition because that has been her life’s work. She was the 2008 Expert Consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, and prior to her current appointment at USDA, was a Assistant Professor and Director of Agriculture, Food and Environment Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition.
Dr. Merrigan pointed out that two out of three adults are overweight or obese and that only “one-third engage in regular physical exercise.” She pointed out that “fitness has long been built into [the Department of Agriculture] mission.” The USDA’s highly popular pyramid food guidelines were developed with fitness in mind.
OPM sent out a directive that encourages a new attitude towards prevention and wellness. It says:
“Agencies should review the extent to which alternative work schedules may be authorized and utilized, as well as the policies and practices for granting employees annual leave, sick leave (e.g., for preventive screenings), leave without pay, credit hours under flexible work schedules, compensatory time off, to participate in health and wellness activities.”
“The most important way to build a healthy country is to start with our own federal employees,” said Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services and a medical doctor. Prior to his recent appointment to the federal government, he was Professor of the Practice of Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).
“Our department puts out physical fitness guidelines for the country and those guidelines show that even a unit as short as 10 minutes of exercise makes a difference in your overall health,” said Dr. Koh.
At various stations at the rally were tables set up by the various federal agencies. At one of them, there was a personal trainer who works at the Ronald Reagan Building. Mr. Carlos King said that close to 50 percent of the people he helps at the Ronald Reagan Building Fitness Center are obese. They have about 3,000 members. The fees are supplemented by the federal government. Mr. King said that many members have dropped down in weight and made improvements in their strength and body fat.
On site was a TRX Suspension Trainer. Marianne LaChance, a fitness expert and program manager with the U.S. Coast Guard explained how simple it is in building strength and endurance. She also showed a little version that the military uses to carry when a gym is not near. It is hooked up to a door and can provide a good workout in your hotel room, she said.
The Acting Executive Director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Rear Admiral Penelope Slade-Sawyer provided the slogan for the rally: “You are it, get fit.” As a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, she was in uniform. She provided a more spiritual motivation for fitness.
“You can be a role model for those you love so that we have an opportunity to live this life [that] we have been given to its fullest.”
