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Article #221: Five Hundred Million Dollars Pledged To Fight Childhood Obesity Nationally, Including Texas

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






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