Former First Lady Michelle Obama's signature campaign, Let's Move!, was devoted to solving the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.
The comprehensive initiative engaged with schools, families, and communities to provide the tools needed to help children become healthier eaters and more active individuals.
"In the end, as First Lady, this isn't just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition," she said at the time.
That's why her new endeavor is raising some eyebrows.
On Wednesday, she announced her new food and drink company PLEZi, meant to offer children healthy options.
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"I've learned that on this issue, if you want to change the game, you can't just work from the outside. You've got to get inside — you've got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry itself," Obama said during the company announcement at The Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival. "I'm proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not just to provide better products, but to jumpstart a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry."
The company's first product is a fruit juice, which it says contains 75 percent less sugar than regular 100 percent fruit juices.
Not everyone is happy about the new offering, however.
Calley Means, a former consultant for Atlanta-based Coca-Cola who Watters reported is a "whistleblower" on the state of the beverage industry, said he was "sick to [his] stomach" as a parent watching Obama pitch her new beverage.
"We don't recommend kids should smoke safer cigarettes. But what sugary drinks is doing is far worse and we should not be recommending safe sugary drinks – We should be speaking very, very clearly," Means said.
Means said sugar is a provably addictive substance that negatively affects juvenile health – adding that Obama is in a similar position as Dr. Anthony Fauci was when he instructed Americans to submit to the coronavirus vaccine injection, because of his public stature.
He noted that when the U.S. surgeon general's office began mandating warning labels on cigarettes, tobacco use reportedly dropped. In the same way, he urged Obama to be mindful of what she is marketing to children.
Means said 30% of U.S. kids are already pre-diabetic, and that the trend in that direction must stop. (Fox News)
Speaking on his program about the new product, Fox News's Jesse Watters suggested water would be a better alternative.
"But water doesn't make you richer than your husband," he said.
