Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity

This memorandum establishes a Task Force on Childhood Obesity chaired by the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, with membership from multiple Cabinet secretaries and agency heads. The Task Force is directed to develop and submit within 90 days a comprehensive interagency action plan to solve childhood obesity within a generation, though its functions are explicitly advisory only.

Federal Register Open PDF 75 FR 7197

Impact dates

May 10, 2010
Task Force to develop and submit comprehensive interagency plan to President

Key directives

Establish Task Force on Childhood Obesity
Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to serve as Chair
HHS to provide funding and administrative support
Task Force to develop interagency action plan within 90 days
Task Force functions are advisory only
Task Force to conduct outreach with private/nonprofit organizations and state/tribal/local authorities
Agency heads to assist and provide information to Task Force
HHS Secretary to publish memorandum in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Task Force establishment
HHS to provide funding and administrative support

Near term (90d)

Interagency action plan due to President
Outreach to private/nonprofit organizations, state/tribal/local authorities

Long term

Implementation of coordinated federal response to childhood obesity
Potential legislative, budgetary, and policy proposals

Risks & tensions

Advisory-only functions may limit implementation authority without further presidential or congressional action
Dependent on existing appropriations and subject to availability of funding
Multiple agencies with potentially competing priorities required to coordinate
Ambitious generational goal without specified enforcement mechanisms