National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2012

Proclamation 8852 of August 31, 2012

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over the past several decades, childhood obesity has
become a serious public health issue that puts millions
of our sons and daughters at risk. The stakes are high:
if we do not solve this problem, many among America's
next generation will face diabetes, heart disease,
cancer, and other health problems associated with
obesity. Thankfully, while more remains to be done, we
are making real progress toward a healthier future for
our children. During National Childhood Obesity
Awareness Month, we rededicate ourselves to meeting
that critical responsibility.

For more than 2 years, First Lady Michelle Obama's
Let's Move! initiative has worked with stakeholders
across the private and public sectors to expand access
to nutritious food, promote physical activity,
encourage healthy food choices, create healthy starts
for children, and ensure families have the tools they
need to make healthy decisions. Communities from coast
to coast are taking action to fulfill those goals. Over
4,000 schools have established rigorous nutrition and
physical activity standards through the HealthierUS
School Challenge, and more than a million Americans
have earned the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award by
committing to healthy eating and regular exercise. The
Healthy Food Financing Initiative is developing
projects that increase access to healthy, affordable
food in communities that currently lack these options.
Let's Move! has also partnered with faith-based and
community organizations that are expanding access to
fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighborhoods, and
local elected officials are leading the way in making
healthy changes for cities, towns, and counties across
America.

Earlier this year, my Administration implemented part
of the historic Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act by
releasing new rules for school lunches and breakfasts
that ensure a higher nutritional standard--one that
includes more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and
less fat and sodium. These changes represent the first
major revision to school meal requirements in more than
15 years, and they come on the heels of recent updates
to the Federal Government's Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. To commemorate the healthy choices families,
schools, and communities are making in kitchens across
America, the First Lady was proud to host the first
Kids' ``State Dinner'' this summer, which welcomed 54
young chefs to the White House for a formal luncheon to
celebrate their commitment to healthy, affordable
recipes. To find additional information on how we can
solve the problem of childhood obesity within a
generation, visit www.LetsMove.gov.

Each of us can play a role in ensuring our children
have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives, and
by joining together in pursuit of that mission, I am
confident we can build a brighter future for America's
youth.

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 2012 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 twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.