National School Lunch Week (October 10 - 14) - White House Proclamation

details and analysis posted at Obama Food-o-rama (http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/10/presidential-proclamation-oct-9-15-is.html )

President Obama ticks off the successes of First Lady Obama's Let's Move! campaign in a proclamation declaring Oct. 9-15 as National School Lunch Week 2011. He hails the Chefs Move to Schools project, the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, the PALA Challenge, Let's Move Childcare, the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools project, and other Let's Move! efforts as boons to America. He also thanks the hardworking culinary professionals who work in America's school cafeterias.

"Good nutrition at school is an investment in our children's futures," President Obama notes. "Schools are central to improving child health, as children who eat both school breakfast and lunch may consume more than half their daily calories at school."

Still, the President adds that there is more work to be done.

"Despite our successes, too many American children go without proper nutrition," President Obama said. "One third of children in our country are overweight or obese, and without a major change, one third of children born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their lifetime."

The President also praises the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, which he signed in December of 2010. It provides sweeping nutritional changes for the federally funded National School Lunch Program, which feeds close to 32 million children each day