[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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--MyPlate--to encourage balanced meals. And our

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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.
BARACK OBAMA