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.

Celebrate Fitness!

March 15, 2011 | Program Result

The United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) and members of nine Indian youth councils designed and implemented Celebrate Fitness!, a youth-led program of activities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles among Native Americans.

Findings from a Randomized Experiment of Playworks

April 17, 2012 | Report

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.

Effects of Weight on Adolescent Educational Attainment

April 1, 2011 | Book

The authors used measures of educational achievement such as highest grade attended, highest grade completed, and drop out status among adolescents to ascertain whether weight affected educational achievements. Analyses did not detect any strong associations between weight and educational achievement among youth surveyed in the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

Bridging the Gap: Research Informing Practice and Policy for Healthy Youth

January 28, 2011 | Program Result

Bridging the Gap: Research Informing Practice for Healthy Youth Behavior conducts research on how laws, policies, practices, programs and other environmental influences at the state, community and school levels affect youth behaviors.

Tennis, Everyone?

June 1, 2004 | Program Result

The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation expanded its programming to introduce at-risk inner city children to health-promoting behaviors such as good nutrition, physical conditioning and avoidance of drugs and alcohol.

New Jersey Girl Scouts Create Active Living Patch

June 1, 2007 | Program Result

From 2003 to 2005, the Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan created an Active Living patch to promote the importance of active living.

Targeting Overweight Kids and Their Parents in Vineland, N.J.

November 4, 2011 | Program Result

South Jersey Healthcare implemented Success Through Exercise, Physical Fitness and Sharing Information for Kids, a 12-week course that helps overweight children and their parents in low-income and minority communities combat obesity.

Waaniniigaanzijig Tribal Youth Council - "The Kids Did Everything"

March 15, 2011 | Program Result

The Waaniniigaanzijig Youth Council planned and conducted three annual events as part of Celebrating Fitness.

Anadarko UNITY Youth Council: "Healthy Heroes Spread the Word"

March 15, 2011 | Program Result

Healthy Heroes is the Celebrate Native Health project designed by the Anadarko UNITY Youth Council and launched it in 2006.

Yavapai-Apache Youth Council - "Dreams Do Come True"

March 15, 2011 | Program Result

The Yavapai-Apache Youth Council built a walking trail near tribal headquarters in Camp Verde, Ariz.