Washington ( CNN ) -- The convenience store near my house is where I first became aware of the problem . There , an overweight girl , maybe 10 years old , had just persuaded her mother to buy her potato chips and a Slurpee . It was 11:15 at night . From that moment forward , I saw overweight and obese kids everywhere : At church , in Wal-Mart , at the movies . Everywhere . It was n't always this way . In fact , obesity rates for kids have tripled over the last three decades , according to a widely circulated report that appeared in the Academic Pediatrics journal late last summer . Moreover , the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and nonpartisan government surveys say that one out of every three children in America is overweight or obese . Think about that : One in three . ( The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses body mass index -- a formula that considers height , weight , age and gender -- to determine if a child is overweight or obese . Click here for an interactive calculator to see if your child falls into either category . ) Studies find that overweight and obese kids are more likely to grow up to be overweight and obese adults . Saddled with heart disease , diabetes , high blood pressure and myriad other preventable health problems , they will be sicker and may die earlier than the generation before them . Consider this : Last November , a report based on the research of Dr. Ken Thorpe , a noted Emory University health care economist , found that 43 percent of all adults in America would be obese -- not overweight , but obese -- by 2018 if current trends continue . It was 15 percent in 1980 . This epidemic not only threatens the well-being of our children but strains an overburdened health care system , hampers the productivity of our workforce and indirectly undermines our competitiveness as the world 's leading economic power . Fortunately , there is reason to hope . First lady Michelle Obama is stepping in to lead a new initiative . Having gotten her daughters settled into school and life in Washington , the Harvard-educated lawyer is kicking off a program to bring attention to the childhood obesity epidemic . In terms of need and potential impact , I would argue that this is the most meaningful public service effort taken on by a first lady since Nancy Reagan 's `` Just Say No '' campaign of the 1980s . Perhaps learning from early missteps of her husband 's administration , Mrs. Obama is consulting members of Congress from both political parties before announcing the national effort . She has solicited their thoughts and ideas to incorporate into the plan . The first lady is using unifying and uplifting language to talk about the epidemic . She has refused to speak about it in abstract terms and does not disparage those who make unhealthy decisions for their kids , like the mom at that convenience store . She uses her own experiences to relate to other parents : . `` It was n't that long ago that I was juggling a full-time job with the round-the-clock role of being a mom . And there were plenty of times when after a long day at work , when the fridge was empty and everyone was hungry , that I just ordered that pizza , because it was easier . Or we went to the drive-through for burgers , because it was quick and cheap . And I was n't always aware of how all the calories and fat in some of the processed foods I was buying were adding up , '' she said , previewing her initiative in a speech to the nation 's mayors last month . On Tuesday , the first lady will unveil the details of her comprehensive plan , the broad outline of which , she told a meeting of key members of Congress and the Cabinet , include four main elements : increasing the number of healthy schools ; increasing the amount of physical activity children receive ; improving accessibility and affordability of healthy foods ; and empowering consumers and families to make healthier food choices . She 'll spell out the details in the coming days . The childhood obesity epidemic is the newest front in the battle of the bulge , and Mrs. Obama should be praised for using her mass appeal to shed light on it . She is right to argue , as she has , that there is no one solution , federal or otherwise . Stopping this epidemic will require complementary efforts that bring together government , families , schools , foundations , businesses and others . Here 's hoping that people across America hear Mrs. Obama 's call to action and join the national campaign to end childhood obesity . Our collective future , in no small part , depends on its success . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Anthony Coley .
Michelle Coley says obesity rate for kids tripled in past 30 years ; one in three affected . Michelle is launching anti - obesity campaign for kids this week , he says . He says she 's seeking bipartisan advice in developing her campaign . Michelle : Her four - day campaign will push healthier food , exercise at school and home .