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.

Economic and Community Development Benefits of Healthy Food Retail

June 17, 2013 | Report

Research shows that when communities have access to affordable, healthy foods, residents purchase and consume healthier foods over time.

Fruit and Vegetable Availability and Selection

October 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Expansion of WIC foods was associated with small positive externalities on the food environment.

Building Infrastructure to Document the U.S. Food Stream

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

This commentary praises the detailed work of the article “Food Companies’ Calorie-Reduction Pledges to Improve U.S. Diet," which describes the independent evaluation of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) pledge to remove 1.5 trillion calories a year from the marketplace by the end of 2015.

Food Insecurity Among Children and Families

April 1, 2010 | Report

Synthesis from Healthy Eating Research finds little evidence of a direct link.

Teaming Up to Address Childhood Obesity in Rural Washington State

January 14, 2009 | Program Result Report

The Washington Health Foundation funded three projects in rural areas of Washington State that addressed childhood obesity by changing policy, the environment or individual behavior. RWJF provided a matching grant.

Creating Gardens in 15 North Carolina Counties

September 20, 2009 | Program Result Report

FirstHealth is a nonprofit health system covering 15 counties with a network of hospitals, health and fitness centers, primary and dental care centers, and a hospice and home care program.

Principles for Framing a Healthy Food System

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

A healthy food system is one in which everyone has daily access to a diet that allows for a full life, that does not deplete natural resources and allows for a sustainable livelihood by those involved with all aspects of food production. The author suggests seven principles that could be used in moving the United States toward a markedly improved food system.

Changing WIC Changes What Children Eat

January 1, 2013 | Journal Article

Changes in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Healthy Lifestyle Initiative saw improved health for young children participating in the New York State (NYS) WIC program: breastfeeding mothers and mothers waiting to feed infants solid foods increased; screen time and overall overweight and obesity decreased among children in NYS under four years of age.

Monitoring Foods and Nutrients Sold and Consumed in the United States

January 1, 2012 | Journal Article

As food production and consumption change, researchers look to datasets to provide information on food in America.

Relationship of Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Adiposity

July 14, 2010 | Journal Article

Studies are inconclusive whether increased fruit and vegetable consumption alone can reduce obesity.