[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9480 of August 31, 2016

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on a child's
health and well-being--it puts our young people at higher risk for
health problems in adulthood and it can strain our economy in the years
ahead. But collaborative efforts in recent years have helped our Nation
make progress and begin to reverse these trends. By fostering
environments that support healthy choices and giving families the
knowledge and resources they need to make smart decisions, we can move
closer toward ensuring all our children grow up healthy. Every
September, as children begin the new school year, we recommit to solving
the epidemic of childhood obesity within the next generation.
Over the course of my Presidency, we have put forward new programs,
policies, and initiatives that put children on a path to a healthy
future. At the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move!
initiative, I established the first-ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity
to develop a national action plan to mobilize the public and private
sectors and engage families and communities in an effort to improve the
health of our children. Combining comprehensive strategies with common
sense, Let's Move! is focused on helping children lead a healthier life
during their earliest months and years; providing healthier foods in our
schools; ensuring every family has access to healthy, affordable food;
and getting children to become more physically active. Everyone has a
role to play in ensuring all of our kids grow up healthy, including
parents and caregivers, elected officials from all levels of government,
schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based
organizations, and the private sector. For the past 5 years we have
welcomed students to the White House from across our Nation to create
original and healthy recipes in our annual Healthy Lunchtime Chal

[[Page 3325]]

lenge and Kids' ``State Dinner.'' The First Lady has also invited
students to join her in planting and harvesting the White House Kitchen
Garden to learn about where their food comes from and experience
firsthand how healthy food can be fun and delicious.
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration introduced a
modernized Nutrition Facts label--which includes more realistic serving
sizes and information on added sugars--to provide families with the
accurate information they need to make healthy choices. We know there is
a strong connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform
in school, too. That is why, in 2010, I signed the bipartisan Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids Act, a law that improves the quality of school meals
and snacks for over 50 million students so they have the fuel they need
to focus on their education and grow up healthy. A recent study showed
that because of the increased availability and variety of fruits and
vegetables in school meals, students have been empowered to make
healthier choices since these standards were updated. The Act increased
the number of students who could get school meals at little or no cost
and ensured that any food or beverage marketed to children at school
meets specific nutrition standards. It also helped bring about the first
major revision of nutrition standards for the Child and Adult Care Food
Program since its inception more than 40 years ago.
In addition to improving the nutrition of the food our children eat, we
will keep striving to create opportunities for kids to become more
physically active. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
recommend that kids be active for at least 60 minutes every day, but
less than one-third of teenagers have met that goal in recent years.
Last year, the Surgeon General called on communities to recognize the
importance of exercise by walking more and by improving the walkability
of our neighborhoods. Through our ``Every Kid in a Park'' initiative, we
have opened up our National Parks to fourth graders and their families
for free, so that children from all backgrounds, parts of the country,
and walks of life can get outdoors more easily.
This year, as we observe National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, let
us renew our commitment to giving America's daughters and sons a healthy
start in life. Let us continue to encourage parents and caregivers to
make nutritious choices and help their children do the same, improve
access to healthy and affordable foods in our communities and our
schools, and promote active lifestyles. We must each do our part to
reduce childhood obesity and empower our children to reach for the
brighter, healthier future they deserve.
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 2016 as
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I encourage all Americans to
learn about and engage 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 sixteen, and of

[[Page 3326]]

the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
forty-first.
BARACK OBAMA