“To make lasting change, we need to start early. If we focus on environmental and policy changes, those small steps (a sidewalk, bike lane, or playground) can ripple into lasting, long-term systems change.”
In the early 2000s, leading health experts sounded the alarm about skyrocketing rates of obesity among America’s children. Research showed the long-term health impacts of obesity, but there was no widespread agreement about what might work to prevent it or reduce rates overall.
Alongside our partners, RWJF saw an urgent need for change. In 2007, this urgency led to our initial $500 million dollar pledge to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic—a deliberately large commitment. It was clear that all sectors of society—government, businesses, philanthropy, and nonprofits—would need to be engaged, even if the exact roadmap for each was still unfolding.
By investing in a way that demonstrated our long-term commitment, we aimed to show our partners we would work alongside them as they made their own commitments too. So many who began this work in the early 2000s are still working to make lasting change. Their perseverance has made a difference for families and communities nationwide.
