White House Chefs Featured On "Today" Show

Comerford, Morrison, and Collick in the spotlight for losing 75 pounds...
Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, Assistant Pastry Chef Susie Morrison, and Assistant Chef Adam Collick were featured in a segment on NBC's Today show on Friday morning, thanks to their collective weight loss of 75 pounds, which they credit to First Lady Michelle Obama's influence with the Let's Move! campaign. All are eating healthier foods and exercising. Comerford, 47, has lost fifteen pounds this year, while Morrison, 44, and Collick, 46, have both lost thirty pounds. (Above, from l: Comerford, Collick and Morrison during the segment)

The chefs were filmed making healthy veggie sandwiches, and cutting cookie dough--in the shape of First Dog Bo--that will be frozen for the upcoming holiday receptions, when the President and Mrs. Obama will welcome thousands of guests. The chefs said they are getting plenty of support from Mrs. Obama for their health efforts.

"When she sees us, she'll comment 'you look great,'" Morrison said. "I used to comment myself that I was the Cookie Monster, because I love sweets."

"We try to live by her example," Collick said.



The chefs are also eating smaller portions when doing the necessary sampling as they cook the many, many dishes that emerge from the kitchen; the White House hosts hundreds of food-related events each year.

"We have an event going on, I'm tasting all those calories," Comerford said. "What I have tried to do now is taste a little smaller morsel."

Comerford has appeared on Today show before, demonstrating healthy recipes, as has assistant chef Sam Kass.

Though Today reporter Kristin Welker watches the chefs chopping vegetables, the food item she samples onscreen is a cookie. And she finishes the segment by displaying a box of cookies she says she's "snuck" out of the White House to send to New York to the Today show studio.

"I can't promise you that they're low on calories, but I can promise you they're delicious," Welker said.

It's a curious choice for a segment on how much influence the First Lady's national campaign has had. Today also "forgot" to mention during the segment that the story was first reported by the Associated Press earlier this week.