124 STAT. 4682 PROCLAMATION 8554—SEPT. 1, 2010 affordable food, increasing opportunities for physical activity, empow- ering parents and caregivers with better information about making healthy choices, and giving children a healthy start in life. I invite all Americans to visit LetsMove.gov to learn more about these rec- ommendations and find additional information and resources on how to help children eat healthy and stay active. The new landmark health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in- cludes a number of important tools for fighting and reversing the rise of childhood obesity. All new health insurance plans will be required to cover both screenings for childhood obesity and counseling on nutri- tion and sustained weight loss, without charging any out of pocket costs. The ACA also requires large restaurant and vending machine op- erators to provide visible nutritional information about the products they sell, enabling all Americans to make more informed choices about the foods they eat. As part of my Administration’s comprehensive ap- proach to combating this epidemic, the ACA includes millions in new funds to implement prevention activities nationwide that support rec- ommendations of the Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Our history shows that when we are united in our convictions, we can safeguard the health and safety of America’s children for generations to come. When waves of American children were stricken with polio and disabled for life, we developed a nationwide immunization pro- gram that eradicated this crippling disease from our shores within a matter of decades. When we discovered that children were going to school hungry because their families could not afford nutritious meals, we created the National School Lunch Program. Today, this program feeds more than 30 million American children, often at little or no charge. When we work together, we can overcome any obstacle and protect our Nation’s most precious resource—our children. As we take steps to turn around the epidemic of childhood obesity, I am confident that we will solve this problem together, and that we will solve it in a generation. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sep- tember 2010 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I en- courage all Americans to take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all of our Nation’s children. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of September, 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
