The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard has an idea we could get behind: Maybe Michelle Obama should include hunting, fishing and other sportsmen’s activities in her “Let’s Move!” campaign against childhood obesity.

Bedard writes:

With reports showing that the average child spends 7.5 hours a day watching TV, sportsmen and women are growing concerned that kids aren’t getting outside enough to build a relationship with nature, potentially threatening hunting and fishing, according to a new poll of outdoor enthusiasts.

More than 7 hours of TV per day? How is it that the average American child heads straight home from school and plops down in front of the TV until bedtime? And, as Bedard notes, wouldn’t that time be better spent casting flies, slinging arrows or carrying a rifle for a few miles?

We certainly think so, and not just because it’s an opportunity for youngsters to bond with nature and develop a conservationist ethic. Hunters and anglers live a healthy lifestyle. They have a passion for the outdoors, and they get exercise simply by participating in their favorite activities. Indeed Thomas Jefferson advised letting your gun “be your constant companion on your walks” to exercise both body and mind.

However, Bedard does not note one of the greatest health benefits of the sporting life: eating wild game. Students are fretting that the First Lady’s new school lunch rules have greatly reduced portion sizes, especially in regard to meat. For instance, students in this viral video parody complain they’re hungry, pretend to pass out, and wear “I love beef” t-shirts. Maybe Michelle should encourage them to try wild game, the ultimate guilt-free meal.

In fact, children who eat venison instead of beef can healthily eat two times more food. Beef has twice the calories of venison and five times more fat (including six times more saturated fat). Venison is also higher in vitamins and minerals, and slightly higher in protein. Therefore the more homes in which a “fast food” dinner means they’re serving up a whitetail or mallard, the better.

So, let’s get the kids away from the TV sets and immerse them in the outdoors. They’ll get exercise, eat healthy and, hey, let’s not forget that hunting and fishing are fun. What do you think, Michelle?