Program Areas

Childhood Obesity

Physical Activity in Communities

RWJF Priority: Increase physical activity by improving the built environment in communities

When children have safe places to walk, bike and play in their communities, they’re more likely to be active and less likely to be obese. Communities can increase opportunities for physical activity by building new sidewalks, bike paths, parks, and playgrounds—and by improving those that already exist.

To encourage families to use these resources and facilities, communities can implement traffic-safety measures and neighborhood watch programs, so children are safe when playing outside. Such measures are especially important in underserved communities, where residents often face high crime rates, dangerous traffic patterns, and unsafe sidewalks.

The resources below, from RWJF grantees and partners, highlight recent efforts to identify the most promising solutions for promoting physical activity in communities.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

From the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids

Renovating Northgate Park in Camden, NJ

Renovating Northgate Park in Camden, NJ

"We want to see kids and families active." The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids helped to rennovate Camden's Northgate Park, where residents can now use the new playground and participate in activities like tennis, volleyball, and cycling.

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From Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

A Healthier Park

A Healthier Park

Chicago's healthy improvements to Humbolt Park include installing community gardens and healthy vending machines, and improving pedestrian access to parks.

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3 p.m. to Bedtime: Crunch Time for Children and Obesity

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.

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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.

Safe Routes to School

September 1, 2011 | Report

This report examines the many benefits and cost-savings Safe Routes to School programs offer.

State Legislation to Address Childhood Obesity

December 14, 2012 | Program Result Report

Researchers analyzed state legislation on childhood obesity for factors that predict enactment and to understand the relationship between enacted policies and obesity rates. They developed tools to help others analyze legislation.

School District Wellness Policies

February 28, 2013 | Report

A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Bridging the Gap program finds that progress to improve school district wellness policies has stalled.

Child-Directed Marketing Within and Around Fast-Food Restaurants

December 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

The fast-food industry spends $660 million to market its products to children and adolescents each year and spends the most on toys for kids’ meals—$360 million for the cost of toys alone.  These efforts help fast-food restaurants sell more than 1.2 ...

Sports Participation in Secondary Schools

October 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

Participating in school sports is an important means to increase physical activity among adolescents. This brief examines participation during the school year by secondary school students in interscholastic sports (played against teams from other sc ...

Zoning for Healthy Food Access Varies by Community Income

April 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

Zoning and land use laws allow or prohibit different types of food outlets, such as supermarkets, farmers’ markets, fast-food restaurants, and convenience stores, in a community. As such, these laws affect people’s access to healthy affordable foods ...