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.

Availability of Competitive Foods and Beverages

June 1, 2010 | Issue Brief

Elementary school practices fall short of national recommendations for diet and physical activity.

Unhealthy Foods and Beverages Widely Available and Physical Activity Options Lacking in U.S. Elementary Schools

June 8, 2010 | News Release

Comprehensive report examines policies and practices relevant to childhood obesity, including those required by the federal wellness policy mandate.

Findings from a Randomized Experiment of Playworks

April 17, 2012 | Report

Related Website Learn more about Playworks Related Read the news release: Can a Game of Tag Help Combat Bullying? Recommended Reading Evaluation of Playworks: Findings from a Randomized Experiment Better Physical and Emotional Health Equals Better L ...

Getting Kids Active: Physical Activity in Schools

October 31, 2012 | New Public Health Post

Get kids active now and often was the message at a session on childhood obesity at the American Public Health Association 2012 Annual Meeting in San Francisco. "Students are not getting enough exercise," said Christina Economos as she opened the ses ...

Does Playworks Have an Impact on Schools and on the Children Who Attend Them?

September 17, 2012 | Story

Susanne N. James-Burdumy, PhD, Associate Director of Research at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., leads the random assignment evaluation of Playworks, a program that uses play to promote physical activity and youth development in schools.

Cleminson Elementary School

October 21, 2012 | Report

Cleminson Elemtary School in El Monte, California was one of two schools in the nation to receive a Gold National Recognition Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program in 2012.

Terence C. Reilly School No. 7

October 21, 2012 | Report

Terence C. Reilly School No. 7 in Elizabeth, New Jersey was one of two schools in the nation to receive a Gold National Recognition Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program in 2012.

Influence of Schoolyard Renovations on Children¿s Physical Activity

September 1, 2010 | Journal Article

Learning Landscapes rebuilds worn-out schoolyards in Denver. This study compared physical activity at Learning Landscapes and non-renovated schoolyards. The authors built on previous research of physical activity in schoolyards by dividing the schoolyard surface into four categories.

Can Tag Help Schools Teach?

March 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

Strengthening recess transforms the school climate, paving the way for less bullying and more focus on learning, according to new evaluation findings from Mathematica Policy Research and Stanford University.

Obesity and Health Risk of Children in the Mississippi Delta

October 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Elementary school-age children in the Mississippi Delta have a troubling distinction: a large percentage of them are overweight or obese, based on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratios. Assessing the impact of health policies, this study suggests, requires consistent measures of multiple weight-related outcomes, including BMI and waist-to-height ratio.