Healthy Eating Research partners with several related obesity-prevention programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). A complete listing of all childhood obesity programs funded by RWJF is available on the RWJF Childhood Obesity program area Web site.
RWJF Childhood Obesity Program Area
RWJF is committed to tackling childhood obesity and the threat it poses to health of our nation's children and families. The Foundation's goal is to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity by 2015. In support of this goal, the RWJF has committed over $500 million and manages several evidence, action and advocacy programs through its Childhood Obesity program area. RWJF places special emphasis on reaching the children at greatest risk: African-American, Latino, Native American and Asian/Pacific Islander children, and children living in low-income communities.
Active Living Research
Active Living Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation managing a $15.4-million authorization over five years. Active Living Research stimulates and supports research to identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity for children and families to inform effective childhood obesity prevention strategies, particularly in lower-income and racial/ethnic communities at highest risk. Findings from the research are used to help inform policy, changes to design of the built environment, and other factors to promote active living and decrease sedentary behavior. Active Living Research is administered by San Diego State University Research Foundation.
African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network
The African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN) is a collaboration of U.S. researchers, scholars-in-training, and community-based research partners. The network is dedicated to improving the quality and quantity of research to address weight-related health issues in African American communities. AACORN's interests include research about healthful eating and physical activity, prevention of weight gain, and weight loss and maintenance. These issues are addressed in the contexts of social and family interactions and other aspects of day-to-day life in African American communities.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap (BTG) is a national research program funded by RWJF and co-directed by the University of Illinois at Chicago Health Policy Center (the "ImpacTeen" component of the initiative) and the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (the Youth, Education and Society component of the initiative). Formed in 1997, the original aim of this project was to improve understanding of the effects of policies, practices, and other environmental factors on substance use among youth. Since 2005, the project's focus has shifted primarily to understanding the effects of policies, practices, and other environmental factors on youth diet, physical activity, and ultimately overweight and obesity. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of policies and environmental conditions in reducing obesity and substance use among youth, BTG provides ongoing measurements of change in these conditions over time, particularly in the nation's schools and communities. In 2008, BTG was awarded $23.6 million in funding from RWJF to support its work through 2012.
National Policy & Legal Analysis Network
The National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) provides leaders in the childhood obesity prevention field with focused legal research, model policies, fact sheets, toolkits, training and technical assistance to explain legal issues related to public health. NPLAN's initial needs assessment identified many areas where policy work could create a better environment to prevent childhood obesity. The program settled on three primary areas of focus for products and policies: marketing to children; child care and K-12 environment; and built environment. The goal is to help create strong childhood obesity policy interventions that will reverse the epidemic by 2015.
RWJF Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity is a national organization dedicated to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by changing public policies and creating healthier environments in schools and communities. The center helps to shape and coordinate the efforts of policy-makers, advocates and community organizations by identifying and promoting the most promising obesity-prevention strategies and supporting the nationwide movement to improve food and physical activity environments.
RWJF New Connections
New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming is an internally managed national program of the RWJF Building Human Capital portfolio. New Connections works to develop and retain a diverse, well-trained leadership and workforce in health and healthcare to meet the needs of all Americans. Created in 2005, New Connections was designed to expand the diversity of perspectives that inform RWJF program strategy and introduce new researchers and scholars to the Foundation. New Connections seeks to increase exposure of diverse researchers and experts to RWJF. The target audience of New Connections includes not only grantees of the program but the broader network of researchers from historically underrepresented research communities.
Salud America!
Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national network of researchers, community leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders who are working together to seek environmental and policy solutions to address childhood obesity among Latinos. Salud America! is funded by RWJF and is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
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