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.

States, School Districts Help Keep Junk Foods and Sugary Drinks Out of Elementary Schools

June 10, 2013 | News Release

Elementary schools are less likely to sell candy, ice cream, sugary drinks, cookies, cakes, and other unhealthy snacks when states or school districts have policies that limit the sale of such items.

Consumers Underestimate Calories in Fast-Food Meals; Teens Do So by as Much as 34 Percent

May 23, 2013 | News Release

Two new studies from Healthy Eating Research highlight the importance of menu labeling.

Unhealthy Food Ads Dominate Spanish TV Shows for Kids

May 8, 2013 | News Release

More than 84 percent of all foods and beverages advertised to children on Spanish-language television shows are unhealthy, according to a new study.

CBO Scoring Misses Billions of Dollars in Potential Long-Term Savings from Effective Obesity Prevention Policies, According to New Study

April 24, 2013 | News Release

Obesity-prevention policies could save the U.S. billions of dollars in the long run. A new report from the Campaign to End Obesity shows that the way estimates for the costs of legislation are done now misses a lot of their value.

RWJF Comments on Proposed Nutrition Standards for School Snacks Foods and Beverages

Commentary

RWJF comments on USDA's proposed nutrition standards for so-called "competitive foods."

Statement from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Regarding the Release of the Report "Still Too Fat to Fight" from Mission: Readiness

Commentary

The widespread availability of junk food in our schools is a serious problem.

Industry Efforts to Improve Nutrition and Marketing for Children's Cereals Yield Mixed Results

News Release

The first Cereal FACTS study was released in 2009, and found that least healthy cereals were those most frequently and aggressively marketed directly to children as young as age 2.

State Laws Aimed at Improving School Meals Help Teens Eat More Fruits and Vegetables, New Study Finds

March 12, 2013 | News Release

The study suggests school-based policies can help mitigate barriers to healthy eating that some teenagers face at home.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Statement Regarding Release of "In It for Good: 2012" Annual Progress Report by Partnership for a Healthier America

March 7, 2013 | Commentary

RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey sees "pockets of progress toward reversing the childhood obesity epidemic," but says more needs to be done.

Poll Finds Big Gap Between Parents and Experts: Parents Less Likely to Recognize Children as Overweight or Obese

February 25, 2013 | News Release

A new poll released today shows a large a gap between parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight and expert definitions.