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.

Impact of Menu Labeling on Consumer Behavior

June 1, 2013 | Report

Key findings from this review show that there is a high degree of public support for providing nutrition information at the point of purchase, and menu labeling in cafeterias and restaurants increases consumers’ awareness of nutritional information.

Relation of Obesity to Neural Activation in Response to Food Commercials

May 9, 2013 | Journal Article

Teenagers’ brains respond differently to food advertisements than non-food advertisements and programming on television.

Redefining "Child-Directed Advertising" to Reduce Unhealthy Television Food Advertising to Children

March 12, 2013 | Journal Article

Food and beverage companies have pledged to reduce unhealthy marketing to children through the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), but their pledges only apply to certain types of marketing.

Healthier Foods: It's Just Good Business

February 7, 2013 | Video/Infographic

Healthier products can contribute to a healthier bottom line for restaurant chains and food and beverage companies.

Restaurant Chains Serving More Lower-Calorie Items Do Better Financially

February 7, 2013 | News Release

Restaurant chains that serve more lower-calorie foods and beverages have better business performance, according to a study released by the Hudson Institute.

Lower-Calorie Foods: It's Just Good Business

February 7, 2013 | Report

Restaurant chains that increased their servings of lower-calorie items between 2006 and 2011 saw better business results

Building Infrastructure to Document the U.S. Food Stream

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

This commentary praises the detailed work of the article “Food Companies’ Calorie-Reduction Pledges to Improve U.S. Diet," which describes the independent evaluation of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) pledge to remove 1.5 trillion calories a year from the marketplace by the end of 2015.

Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents

October 29, 2012 | Report

Parents’ concerns about food marketing and other negative influences on their children’s eating habits appear to be increasing.

Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score ) 2012

June 1, 2012 | Report

Cereals advertised to children contain 57 percent more sugar, 52 percent less fiber, and 50 percent more sodium than cereals advertised to adults.

For Major Food and Beverage Companies, Healthier Products Yield Healthier Profits

October 13, 2011 | News Release

Companies that sell more better-for-you foods and beverages deliver better business results.