There was a time when the solitary fat kid was singled out for special ridicule at school. Today, one-third of all children are overweight or obese. There's nothing remarkable about an overweight kid today that would attract a bully's attention.

The childhood obesity rate in America has tripled in the last three decades. It isn't surprising that a very fat nation has produced a generation of super-sized children who will live shorter and less healthy lives than their parents.

These very large children are afflicted with the kind of obesity-related health problems that used to affect adults exclusively -- diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease and asthma.

First lady Michelle Obama has seen the heart-breaking statistics. That's why she's leading "Let's Move," a White House initiative to promote healthier lifestyles for children at home and at school. The goal of the campaign is to begin the process of eradicating childhood obesity within a generation.

Elements of "Let's Move" include encouraging at least 60 minutes of play or exercise a day and the consumption of healthier foods.

The nation's three major school lunch suppliers see where this campaign is headed, so they have pledged to reduce the fat, sugar and salt content of the meals they produce over the next five years. Given that the junk food they've peddled for decades is a major cause of the obesity epidemic, this is a step in the right direction.

The first lady envisions a campaign that takes the crisis of childhood obesity seriously by attacking it on several fronts. Besides making children savvier about the environment they move around in every day, Mrs. Obama wants more greengrocers in underserved areas. She is also calling for more labeling to empower consumers, more sidewalks in new neighborhoods to encourage walking and a revamp of the food pyramid, among other remedies.

The first lady has the backing of the White House, of course, and can look forward to working with government agencies that have oversight of various aspects of the problem. Battling childhood obesity is as vital to national security as strengthening the economy. Mrs. Obama will make an inspiring commander in chief for the war on fat.

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