Today marks the beginning of an important month. President Obama has proclaimed September 2015 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

“This month, we pause to remember our commitment to our Nation’s youth and renew our focus on improving the health and well-being of our country’s most precious resource,” said President Obama.

Five years ago marked the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to highlight the need for action in helping kids across our country lead healthier lives. This year also marks the fifth anniversary of Let’s Move!, and over the course of the last five years, we have been working with parents, community leaders, and professionals across the public and private sectors to encourage and expand access to nutritious foods and physical activity to help our kids grow up healthy.

Across America, 1.6 million kids are now attending healthier daycare centers where fruits and vegetables have replaced cookies and juice, and more than 30 million kids are eating healthier school breakfasts and lunches. Nearly nine million kids attend Let’s Move! Active Schools where they get 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Restaurants are working to create healthier kids’ menus, and food and beverage companies cut 6.4 trillion calories from their products. Seventy-five million people now live in a Let’s Move! City, Town or County where kids can walk to school on new sidewalks, participate in a summer meal program, or join a local athletic league.  Religious leaders are teaching their congregations about healthy eating.

Everyone has a role to play in helping kids lead healthy lives, and we invite you to join our efforts! Check out the Let’s Move! map to learn more about programs in your community and get involved. You can also take action by reviewing our simple steps for success to discover new ideas and tips to increase opportunities for kids to eat healthy and be active. Don’t forget to stay updated on our latest efforts and share your successes by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

This month, let’s challenge ourselves to dig deeper and do more for our kids. Like the President said, “to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation, we must ensure the advances we have made are not reversed, including by upholding science-based nutrition standards for school meals.” Let’s lead by example and work to create healthier environments because we know that eating nutritious foods and staying active not only helps kids succeed in school, but also allows them to create healthy habits they will carry throughout their lives. We are committed to these efforts this month, throughout the year, and into the future, and we hope you’ll join us on behalf of our kids.

Click here to read the full Presidential Proclamation for National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.