| The New York Times reported, in an April 2007 | | | | Robert Wood Johnson, who built Johnson & |
| article, that the Robert Wood Johnson | | | | Johnson into one of the world's largest |
| Foundation plans to spend more than $500 | | | | health and medical care products companies, |
| million over the next five years to reverse | | | | established his foundation at his death in |
| the increase in childhood obesity nationally, | | | | 1968 with 10,204,377 shares of the company's |
| including Texas. It is one of the largest | | | | stock. He committed it to improving the |
| public health initiatives ever tried by a | | | | health of Americans. |
| private philanthropy. | | | | |
| | | | The foundation played a major role in curbing |
| "This is an epidemic that is going to cost | | | | tobacco use in this country, spending $446 |
| the country in terms of morbidity and | | | | million from 1991 to 2003 toward that goal, |
| mortality and economically," said Dr. Risa | | | | and it plans to use those experiences to |
| Lavizzo-Mourey, the foundation's president | | | | shape its attack on childhood fat. |
| and chief executive. "The younger generation | | | | |
| is going to live sicker and die younger than | | | | Since 1995, the number of adult and teenage |
| their parents because of obesity." | | | | smokers has declined 12.6 percent and 18 |
| | | | percent, respectively. |
| The foundation estimates that roughly 25 | | | | |
| million children 17 and under are obese or | | | | "It was a very carefully thought-out |
| overweight, nearly a third of the 74 million | | | | strategic initiative," said Joel L. |
| in that age group, according to Census Bureau | | | | Fleishman, a professor of law and public |
| data and a 2006 study published in The | | | | policy at Duke University. The foundation |
| Journal of the American Medical Association. | | | | underwrote research, prevention and |
| | | | smoking-cessation programs, and increased |
| Many of those children are poor and live in | | | | awareness of smoking's dangers. |
| neighborhoods where outdoor play is unsafe | | | | |
| and access to fresh fruits and vegetables is | | | | Over the last few years, the foundation has |
| limited. "In many cases, the environment | | | | pledged $80 million to childhood obesity |
| makes it almost impossible for them to choose | | | | programs, like grants to the Food Trust to |
| healthy lifestyles," Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey said. | | | | persuade supermarket operators to return to |
| "We're going to try to change that." | | | | poor neighborhoods. |
| | | | |
| The foundation plans to invest in programs to | | | | Its new effort intends to capitalize on and |
| improve access to healthy food, encourage the | | | | enhance efforts by the food industry and |
| development of safe play spaces, increase | | | | school districts and governments to address |
| research to enhance understanding of obesity | | | | the problem, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey said. Several |
| and prod governments into adopting policies | | | | snack food producers are making changes in |
| to address the problem, among other things. | | | | their packaging and ingredients, and three |
| | | | soft-drink companies said they would no |
| Experts on childhood obesity welcomed the | | | | longer supply sweetened drinks to school |
| foundation's plans. | | | | cafeterias and vending machines. |
| | | | |
| "Government grants for biomedical research in | | | | Several states have mandated changes in |
| general, including obesity research, are | | | | school menus, increased physical education |
| being funded at the lowest levels I've seen | | | | requirements and begun reporting students' |
| in my career," said Dr. David Ludwig, | | | | body mass index scores to parents. |
| director of the Optimal Weight for Life | | | | |
| Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston and | | | | In Arkansas, which has one of the most |
| author of a new book, "Ending the Food | | | | comprehensive programs aimed at the problem, |
| Fight." "So we are especially dependent on | | | | obesity among the 450,000 children in 1,300 |
| philanthropic support." | | | | public schools has plateaued. |
| | | | |
| Philanthropy has long fueled improvements in | | | | Obesity is a growing American epidemic that |
| health, from John D. Rockefeller, whose money | | | | takes root early in life. It imposes a |
| produced a yellow fever vaccine, to Bill and | | | | variety of health risks that can appear at |
| Melinda Gates, who are underwriting new | | | | any phase in life. As you'll discover, what |
| health technologies and vaccines to address a | | | | affects your health also will eventually |
| variety of global problems. | | | | affect your bank account. |
| | | | |