WASHINGTON — The leader of first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative is taking his own advice.
The White House announced Monday that Sam Kass, who doubles as the first family’s personal chef, will step down at the end of the month and move to New York City. His departure creates a void in Mrs. Obama’s signature campaign at a time when one of its central tenets, healthier food in K-12 cafeterias, faces an uncertain future as congressional Republicans aim to relax the controversial school lunch standards amid never-ending complaints from administrators, parents and students.
As executive director of the “Let’s Move!” campaign, Mr. Kass — who also holds the title of White House senior policy adviser on nutrition — played a central in developing the standards, which limit sugar, sodium and other unhealthy eats while requiring more whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables.
But since they were implemented by the Agriculture Department in 2012, the new standards, part of a broader effort to fight childhood obesity, have come under fire from all sides.
GOP lawmakers — echoing the concerns of students, some of whom recently launched a #ThanksMichelleObama Twitter campaign mocking the meager, often unappetizing meals — believe they place unrealistic limits on school districts. A recent survey by the School
Nutrition Association, for example, found that just 18 percent of school meal operators expect to break even on their programs this year.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Kass‘ and Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative also has faced criticism from health professionals who believe the lunch standards haven’t gone far enough.
“Childhood obesity is such a big problem. Improvements are still needed,” said Cameron Wells, a dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Our concerns are still there.”
Ms. Wells applauded the progress Mr. Kass and Mrs. Obama have made on the