[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 6, 2011)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55207-55208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22928]



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Vol. 76

Tuesday,

No. 172

September 6, 2011

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 8702--National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2011
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 172 / Tuesday, September 6, 2011 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Proclamation 8702 of August 31, 2011

                
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2011

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Since the 1970s, the rate of childhood obesity in our 
                country has tripled, and today a third of American 
                children are overweight or obese. This dramatic rise 
                threatens to have far-reaching, long-term effects on 
                our children's health, livelihoods, and futures. 
                Without major changes, a third of children born in the 
                year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their 
                lifetimes, and many others will face obesity-related 
                problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, 
                cancer, and asthma. As a Nation, our greatest 
                responsibility is to ensure the well-being of our 
                children. By taking action to address the issue of 
                childhood obesity, we can help America's next 
                generation reach their full potential.

                Together, we can stop this epidemic in its tracks. Over 
                the last year and a half, the First Lady's Let's Move! 
                initiative has brought together Federal agencies and 
                some of the biggest corporations and nonprofits from 
                across our country, working to meet our national goal 
                of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a 
                generation. Let's Move! aims to help ensure we can make 
                healthy choices about the foods we eat and how much 
                exercise we get, while building the habits necessary to 
                tackle one of the most urgent health issues we face in 
                this country. I invite all Americans to visit 
                LetsMove.gov to learn more about this initiative and 
                how to help children eat healthy and stay active.

                Everyone has a role to play in preventing and reversing 
                the tide of childhood obesity. This year, we announced 
                groundbreaking partnerships with grocery stores and 
                other retailers to increase access to healthy food in 
                underserved areas. These stores have pledged to 
                increase their fruit and vegetable offerings and to 
                open new locations in communities where nutritious food 
                is limited or unavailable. Childhood obesity cuts 
                across all cultural and demographic lines, so Let's 
                Move! has started initiatives to reach every cross-
                section of America, from urban and rural areas to 
                schools, health clinics, and child care homes and 
                centers. These programs touch everyone, from faith-
                based communities to Indian Country, empowering kids 
                and their families to discover the fun in healthy 
                eating and exercise.

                Schools also have an important role in ensuring our 
                children live full and active lives. Last December, I 
                signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law, 
                enacting comprehensive change that will allow more 
                children to eat healthier school lunches. One of the 
                cornerstones of Let's Move! is the HealthierUS School 
                Challenge. This year, America met the goal of doubling 
                the number of schools meeting the Challenge's 
                requirements for expanding nutrition and physical 
                activity opportunities. These 1,250 schools have shown 
                that together, we can go above and beyond to give our 
                kids the healthy future they deserve.

                We are coordinating across the Federal Government to 
                make our goal a reality. This year, the Federal 
                Government released updated Dietary Guidelines for 
                Americans, providing a science-based roadmap for 
                individuals to make healthy choices, and emphasizing 
                the importance of good nutrition and an active 
                lifestyle. We adapted the food pyramid to a new 
                design--

[[Page 55208]]

                MyPlate--to encourage balanced meals. And our Healthy 
                People 2020 initiative incorporates childhood obesity 
                prevention in its goals for increasing the health of 
                all Americans.

                Across our country, parents are working hard every day 
                to make sure their kids are healthy, and my 
                Administration is committed to supporting families in 
                their efforts. During National Childhood Obesity 
                Awareness Month, we recognize the outstanding work our 
                businesses, communities, and families are doing to help 
                us meet our responsibilities to our children. I urge 
                all Americans to help us meet our goal of solving the 
                problem of childhood obesity within a generation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim September 2011 as 
                National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I encourage 
                all Americans to take action by learning about and 
                engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and 
                greater physical activity by all our Nation's children.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2011-22928
Filed 9-2-11; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P