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.

Senate Bill 42

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

Texas Senate Bill 42 (SB42), enacted in 2005, directed the state's middle schools to strengthen institutional responsibility for the health of their students. This study assessed whether a representative sample of middles schools were adhering to SB42.

5th Graders Walk Across the U.S. (Sort of), Eat Healthy Foods and Lose 225 Pounds

July 1, 2005 | Program Result

Between January and June 2004, fifth grade students at the Burnt Chimney Elementary School in Wirtz, Va., participated in a comprehensive program designed to increase their daily physical activity.

Using an Idea Prize to Spur an Invention to Increase Physical Activity

November 27, 2012 | Program Result

HopeLab Foundation, Redwood City, Calif., hosted an idea prize competition and then built an interactive, digital product to spur physical activity in middle school students, particularly those youth who are most likely to become obese.

Sprouting Healthy Kids Promotes Local Produce and Healthy Eating Behavior in Austin, Texas, Middle Schools

October 8, 2010 | Program Result

The Sustainable Food Center partnered with six middle schools in Austin, Texas, to implement a program to increase children's knowledge of the food system, their consumption of fruits and vegetables and their access to local farm produce.

Impact of School District Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Policies on Student Beverage Exposure and Consumption in Middle Schools

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This study, part of a supplement presenting a series of obesity-related studies, found that students in Washington state school districts with more precise regulations of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumed less SSBs.

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.

School Sport Participation Under Two School Sport Policies

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

Intramural sports offer a promising strategy to increase physical activity among middle school students.

Pathways to Outdoor Recreation, Physical Activity, and Delinquency Among Urban Latino Adolescents

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

Individual-level factors, such as fear and perceptions of incivilities, among youth in neighborhoods with high crime rates may influence levels of physical activity and delinquency.

U.S. Middle and High Schools Improving Some Nutrition Practices, But Sugary Drinks Remain Widely Available

Secondary schools report limited progress in creating healthier environment for students.