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.

State Requirements and Recommendations for School-Based Screenings for Body Mass Index or Body Composition, 2010

September 1, 2011 | Journal Article

The prevalence of adolescent obesity was higher in states that require BMI screening or fitness assessments with body composition than in states without requirements.

Disparities in Peaks, Plateaus, and Declines in Prevalence of High BMI Among Adolescents

September 1, 2010 | Journal Article

While obesity rates have declined for California’s White and Asian youth since 2005, rates have leveled off or increased for other ethnic groups.

Challenges of Accurately Measuring and Using BMI and Other Indicators of Obesity in Children

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

When measurements are taken carefully and compared with appropriate growth charts and recommended cutoffs, body mass index (BMI) provides an excellent indicator of overweight and obesity that is sufficient for most clinical, screening and surveillance purposes.

BMI Screening and Surveillance

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

There is limited evidence on the value of individually directed help for children with higher body mass indexes (BMIs) as a national policy, but national surveillance systems are badly needed to allow a better focus on the development of both public health and individual treatment policies.

The Validity of BMI as an Indicator of Body Fatness and Risk Among Children

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This review focuses on the relation of BMI to body fatness and health risks, particularly on the ability of BMI for age 95th Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) percentile to identify children who have excess body fatness.

Introduction to Issues and Implications of Screening, Surveillance, and Reporting of Children's BMI

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

In January 2008, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) convened a forum of researchers and practitioners working on the issue of childhood obesity to discuss the issues related to surveillance, screening and reporting of children's BMI. The articles contained in this supplement to Pediatrics address the issues in greater detail.

Older Adults Can Get Moving: New Screening Tool Tailors Activities to Individual Needs

September 16, 2010 | Program Result

The Texas A& M Health Science Center undertook a comprehensive overview of methods used to screen older people before they begin exercise regimens.

Arkansas' Experience

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

Through a groundbreaking legislative mandate that requires body mass index (BMI) assessments in public schools, Arkansas has achieved both enhanced awareness among parents and their children and increased engagement by school, clinical, public health and community leaders in response to the epidemic.

The Use of BMI in the Clinical Setting

September 1, 2009 | Journal Article

Definitions of overweight and obesity are based on percentile cutoff points. This article explores both strengths and limitations of body mass index (BMI) for this use.

Economic Contextual Factors and Child Body Mass Index

April 1, 2011 | Book

This policy paper is from a series published by the National Bureau of Economic Research on obesity in the United States. The authors examined the relationship between children's weight and fast food and fruit and vegetable prices, and children's weight and availability of fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores.