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