$500 Million Allocated to Stop Childhood Obesity

Rebecca Castell

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Obesity is now recognized as one of the biggest risks to children. The New York Times Reports that

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has dedicated over $500 Million over the next five years to reverse the increase in childhood obesity. It is one of the largest public health initiatives ever tried by a private philanthropy.

The foundation estimates that roughly 25 million children 17 and under are obese or overweight, nearly a third of the 74 million in that age group, according to Census Bureau data and a 2006 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The foundation, who also made significant contributions towards the non-smoking movement, hopes to change school menus, increase awareness of the risk factors of obesity to parents and encourage markets to return to poorer neighborhoods.