Former First Lady Michelle Obama has co-founded PLEZi, a food and beverage company designed to provide healthy choices for children, she announced Wednesday.
Obama said he would work behind the scenes to guide PLEZi’s mission. Let’s move! The campaign against childhood obesity she launched as first lady.
“What this issue has taught me is that if you want to change the game, you can’t just work from the outside. said during the company’s launch at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival. We are proud to announce the nationwide launch of Engineered Company.”
PLEZi’s first product, a drink for kids ages 6 to 12, has 75% less sugar than the average staple fruit juice, Obama wrote on the company’s site. The former First Lady said water and milk are the best drinks for her children under the age of five.
“But we all know that when kids reach school age, drinking just water and milk isn’t practical. That’s why we created PLEZi as a worry-free alternative.” It has less sugar, less sweetness, and more nutrients such as fiber and potassium than found in many drinks.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017 and 2018, Americans ages 2 to 19 consumed an average of 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day. A 2021 study found that more than half of children in most states had had at least one sugary drink in her week prior to the study.
In a February report, the CDC said, “It’s important to limit or cut back on sugary drinks, including sugary drinks, because added sugar is associated with increased risk of obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.” said.
The PLEZi drink is now available in four flavors at Target and Spouts stores nationwide. Also available online at Walmart. The company plans to expand into additional drinks and snacks in the future.
As a public utility, PLEZi Nutrition said it will invest 10% of its profits in physical activity that promotes children’s health. Obama also announced that he will donate his $1 million to FoodCorps, a nonprofit organization whose company works on children’s nutrition.