Childhood Obesity Program Area

RWJF is committed to tackling one of the most urgent threats to the health of our children and families—childhood obesity. Our goal is to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Active Living Research and Public Health

February 1, 2009 | Commentary

The Centers for Disease Control is committed to collaborating with the Active Living Research program and other programs related to improving activity levels on a population scale. Although promising areas for change are coming into focus, significant improvements in how much physical activity Americans engage in have yet to be made.

Active Living Research and the Movement for Healthy Communities

February 1, 2009 | Commentary

The Active Living Research program has made an important start in engaging underserved communities in efforts to increase physical activity on a population level. However, much remains to be done future efforts must focus on a bottom-up approach that will engage community members from the outset.

Adapting Physical Activity Interventions to Prevent Obesity in Culturally Diverse Populations

July 1, 2009 | Commentary

To address obesity in culturally diverse populations, interventions should include "real-world" practices that are adapted to cultural needs, values and resources, according to Terry L. Bazzarre, Ph.D., a former senior program director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Adult Obesity Rates Could Exceed 60 Percent in 13 States by 2030, According to New Study

September 18, 2012 | News Release

The number of obese adults, along with related disease rates and health care costs, are on course to increase dramatically in every state in the country over the next 20 years, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation Receives $23 Million Grant to Expand Healthy Schools Program

June 13, 2011 | News Release

President Bill Clinton to announce Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant renewal, honor 275 high-performing schools at the Healthy Schools Forum.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program Now Reaches More Than 10,000 Schools

January 12, 2011 | News Release

Healthy Schools Program provides free expert advice and resources to schools in all 50 states as they work to prevent childhood obesity.

Availability of Sugary Sodas in U.S. Middle and High Schools Declines Significantly

August 6, 2012 | News Release

Sports drinks, other sugary beverages still widely available.

California Making Headway in Battle Against Childhood Obesity But Study Shows Successes are Uneven

November 9, 2011 | News Release

Study shows statewide rates for overweight and obesity among school-age children may be leveling off, but progress is uneven across counties.

Can We Achieve Evidence-Based Policy and Practice on Active Travel?

January 1, 2009 | Commentary

In this commentary prepared for the 2008 Active Living Research Conference, Philip Insall of Sustrans, a UK nonprofit organization, shares his insights into how research can be used to shape policies that encourage people to travel on foot or by bicycle.

CBO Scoring Misses Billions of Dollars in Potential Long-Term Savings from Effective Obesity Prevention Policies, According to New Study

April 24, 2013 | News Release

Obesity-prevention policies could save the U.S. billions of dollars in the long run. A new report from the Campaign to End Obesity shows that the way estimates for the costs of legislation are done now misses a lot of their value.