Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4707

 124 STAT. 4681 PROCLAMATION 8554—SEPT. 1, 2010 visit and enjoy our wilderness areas, to learn about their vast history, and to aid in the protection of our precious national treasures. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth. BARACK OBAMA Proclamation 8554 of September 1, 2010 National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation One of the greatest responsibilities we have as a Nation is to safeguard the health and well-being of our children. We now face a national childhood obesity crisis, with nearly one in every three of America’s children being overweight or obese. There are concrete steps we can take right away as concerned parents, caregivers, educators, loved ones, and a Nation to ensure that our children are able to live full and active lives. During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I urge all Americans to take action to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for decades. While it has afflicted children across our country, certain Americans have been disproportionately affected. Particular racial and ethnic groups are more severely impacted, as are certain regions of the country. In addi- tion, obesity can be influenced by a number of environmental and be- havioral factors, including unhealthy eating patterns and too little physical activity at home and at school. We must do more to halt and reverse this epidemic, as obesity can lead to severe and chronic health problems during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and asthma. Not only does excess weight adversely affect our children’s well-being, but its associated health risks also impose great costs on families, our health care system, and our economy. Each year, nearly $150 billion are spent to treat obesity-related medical conditions. This is not the fu- ture to which we want to consign our children, and it is a burden our health care system cannot bear. Earlier this year, the First Lady announced ‘‘Let’s Move!’’—an initiative to combat childhood obesity at every stage of a child’s life. As Presi- dent, I created a Task Force on Childhood Obesity to marshal the com- bined resources of the Federal Government to develop interagency so- lutions and make recommendations on how to respond to this crisis. The Task Force produced a report containing a comprehensive set of recommendations that will put our country on track for solving this pressing health issue and preventing it from threatening future genera- tions. The report outlines broad strategies to address childhood obesity, in- cluding providing healthier food in schools, ensuring access to healthy