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.

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.

Coalition for Healthy Children Creates Messages on Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

August 30, 2010 | Program Result

From 2005 to 2009 the Ad Council in New York formed the Coalition for Healthy Children and developed and directed a communications campaign to encourage children to eat healthy foods and exercise.

Nutrition Content of Food and Beverage Products on Web Sites Popular with Children

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This study assessed the nutritional quality of branded food and beverage products advertised on 28 Web sites popular with children.

Marketing of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value to Children in Schools

November 1, 2008 | Journal Article

This nationally representative survey measures both the nature and extent of corporate-sponsored food marketing activities in U.S. public schools.

Marketing of Unhealthy Foods Pervasive in U.S. Public Schools Survey Finds

November 30, 2008 | Program Result

In 2004-05, researchers designed and conducted the first national survey of commercial food marketing practices in public schools.

Urban Land Institute Publishes Book Outlining Benefits of Walkable Communities

September 1, 2006 | Program Result

Staff of the Urban Land Institute gathered information to further the development of a business case for creating high-density, mixed use (residential and business), walkable places.

What Would it Take for Retail Food Industry to Create Smaller Portion Sizes for Children?

December 1, 2005 | Program Result

In 2004, staff of Mathematica Policy Research, based in Princeton, N.J., analyzed marketplace conditions that might influence the retail food industry to produce and package food in smaller portions.

Marketing Junk Food - Meeting Explores Ways to Reduce It

July 14, 2008 | Program Result

The Center for Science in the Public Interest hosted a conference of child and nutrition advocates to discuss the state of food marketing to children, and to strategize how to reduce children's exposure to the marketing of low-nutrition foods.