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.

People with Low Incomes and Minorities Provide Insight Into Challenges of Exercising

December 1, 2002 | Program Result

Priscilla J. Murphy explored the practices, knowledge and attitudes regarding physical activity through four focus groups: mothers on welfare, chronically ill adults, senior citizens and low-income, minority women.

Low-Income New Yorkers See Barriers to Physical Fitness

June 1, 2007 | Program Result

The University of Texas examined the perceptions of NYC residents of low-income areas about their neighborhoods to determine factors that help or hinder them from increasing their physical activity.

Re/Storing Nashville

August 25, 2011 | Program Result

Re/Storing Nashville sought to address lack of access to healthy foods and childhood obesity in three Nashville neighborhoods by increasing residents' access to full-service grocery stores.

Reaching the Goal of 60 Minutes of Physical Activity for Children

February 1, 2013 | Issue Brief

National experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, but many children do not. This brief describes school and community strategies that can help kids be active.

Evaluating the Impact of New Beverage Nutrition Standards in Licensed Childcare in California

March 1, 2013 | Report/Evaluation

California’s Healthy Beverages in Childcare Act was implemented in January 2012 to regulate beverages in licensed childcare centers. This report measures the impact of the policy on childcare practices.

School District Wellness Policies

February 28, 2013 | Report

A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Bridging the Gap program finds that progress to improve school district wellness policies has stalled.

Child-Directed Marketing Within and Around Fast-Food Restaurants

December 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

The fast-food industry spends $660 million to market its products to children and adolescents each year and spends the most on toys for kids’ meals—$360 million for the cost of toys alone.  These efforts help fast-food restaurants sell more than 1.2 ...

Sports Participation in Secondary Schools

October 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

Participating in school sports is an important means to increase physical activity among adolescents. This brief examines participation during the school year by secondary school students in interscholastic sports (played against teams from other sc ...

Supporting Physical Activity Outside of School Time

May 1, 2012 | Issue Brief

Regular physical activity promotes important health benefits, reduces risk for obesity, and is linked to enhanced academic performance. National recommendations call for children and adolescents to be active for 60 minutes a day. The U.S. Department ...

Estimated Energy Expenditures for School-Based Policies and Active Living

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

This study estimates the minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity various school and community policy changes could support among youth.