American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Join Forces to Reverse Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Advocacy initiative will focus on expansion of proven public policies; focus on underserved, lower-income areas, and communities of color

Dallas, TX – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) today announced an ambitious collaboration to reverse the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Building upon AHA’s extensive advocacy capacity and experience, RWJF will provide the Association with $8 million in initial funding to create and manage an advocacy initiative focused on changing local, state, and federal policies to help children and adolescents eat healthier foods and be more active.

More than 23.5 million children and adolescents in the United States—nearly one in three young people—are overweight or obese. Obesity puts children at risk for a number of serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Some research indicates that, because of obesity, the current generation of young people could be the first in the nation’s history to live sicker and die younger than their parents’ generation.

RWJF is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to improving health and health care. AHA is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting cardiovascular disease.

“Some cities and states are starting to see progress in their efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “As a country, we’re gaining a better sense of what changes work, and now it’s time to make those changes in every community. I’m confident this new collaboration with the American Heart Association will help us do just that.”

Under the new initiative, RWJF and AHA will focus on policy interventions to advance six priorities that research shows are likely to have the greatest impact on childhood obesity.

AHA will develop the overarching strategy that knits together efforts across all six priorities and fund efforts for three of them:

• Improving the nutritional quality of snack foods and beverages in schools
• Reducing consumption of sugary beverages
• Protecting children from unhealthy food and beverage marketing

RWJF will fund efforts to address the following priorities in underserved communities:

• Increasing access to affordable healthy foods
• Increasing access to parks, playgrounds, walking paths, bike lanes and other opportunities to be physically active
• Helping schools and youth-serving programs increase children’s physical activity levels

Both RWJF and AHA will focus on reaching communities hardest hit by the epidemic, including communities of color and lower-income communities.

“Individuals across the country recognize the severity of the childhood obesity epidemic, and they are counting on their elected and appointed representatives to support efforts to help children lead healthier lives,” said Nancy Brown, AHA CEO. “We’re excited to work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to organize and build support for those policy efforts so the country can make lasting change.”

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a global leader in the discovery and dissemination of heart disease and stroke science, and is widely known and highly respected as the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing, treating and defeating cardiovascular diseases and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases.

To learn more or to get involved, call 1.800.AHA.USA1, visit www.heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. In 2007, the Foundation committed $500 million toward its goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

This is the largest commitment any foundation has made to the issue. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. Follow the Foundation on Twitter or Facebook.