Pediatricians could save some kids from a lifetime of obesity if they were willing to have uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations with parents of overweight infants, new research shows. That’s because obesity can be diagnosed as early as 6 months, according to a recent University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston analysis published online in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Children are more likely to be obese if they live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute, the University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, say their look at 8,000 children indicates a disadvantaged environment can set families up for ill health.

After spending months caring for tomatoes, beans and lettuce plants, students at the South Harrison Elementary School tasted the fruits of their labor and some other locally grown New Jersey produce… The tasting was the culmination of a semester-long project called Grow Healthy, a grant-funded program brought the school by Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Obesity is "the single greatest threat to public health in this century," an expert panel declared in a report Tuesday that urges Americans to slash calories and increase their physical activity. An advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans calls on people to cut back on added sugars and solid fats (butter, marbled meats) and to follow a more nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.

When First Lady Michelle Obama introduced her campaign, Let's Move, earlier this year, she turned the national spotlight on the ever-growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States. Today nearly one in three children is considered obese. But while politicians and special interest groups argue about how to address the problem and stem the health-care costs associated with weight-related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, one New Jersey high school is doing something about the crisis.

Editor’s note: This article features the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, a RWJF grantee.

Children whose parents set limits on the amount of time spent watching television actually watch less TV, a new study finds. Moreover, children who are physically active tend to spend less time in front of the tube, the researchers added.

Many urban neighborhoods lack grocery stores, and even in those that have them, unhealthy options are easier to find. In fact, large stretches of [Birmingham] can be described as urban food deserts or suffer from food imbalance, said Mari Gallagher, a national consultant hired by Main Street Birmingham to do an in-depth study of the state of the city's food options.

Constructing more than 30 miles of sidewalks, redesigning crosswalks and installing bike racks at two dozen school campuses can aid the Edinburg school district’s efforts to curb childhood obesity, school officials said. The $9 million in federal funding distributed to the school system through the Safe Routes to School Program will make walking and biking to school safer and more appealing for students, said district architect Robert Estrada, who put together the application for the grant money.

The Obama administration is calling on mayors to help in the fight against childhood obesity because the effort won't work if communities don't engage in it, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a conference Friday.

Eating healthy can sometimes be a more expensive proposition than choosing less nourishing food sources. But there is a mobile oasis coming to Utah's "food desert" that will offer healthier choices to people in the Salt Lake Valley. The Community Food Co-op of Utah is launching a new concept called the Mobile Market — a store on wheels that comes to areas where fresh produce and healthful food choices are limited.

If you thought video games only helped aid a sedentary lifestyle, think again. Kingston Elementary School, along with five other schools, partnered with Alabama State University, the Alabama Health and Recreation Department, the Governor's Commission on Physical Fitness, the Alabama Sports Festival and the Mid-South Resource Conservation and Development Council in the "Wee Can Fight Obesity" campaign. The pilot campaign seeks to give third graders from the selected schools the chance to have a new look on exercise by bringing a variety of gaming software including a Wii Fit Plus Bundle.

A Fit for Kansas Kids initiative is being launched by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, which is making $500,000 in grants available to prevent obesity in young children. The fund will award grants of as much as $100,000 for nutrition and physical fitness strategies that target children to age 6.

Researchers at Penn State University find girls who drank soda by age 5 had lower intakes of nutrients than those who hadn't. They say soda drinkers did not drink enough milk.

A childhood obesity program tested by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is being rolled out nationwide by the insurers' sister companies, the company said Wednesday. The approach provides doctors with strategies for talking with youngsters about maintaining a healthy weight and getting adequate exercise. It has been used in North Carolina among many of the insurer's doctors since 2007 as part of a broader effort by the state's largest insurer to tackle rising obesity rates.

With Food Network star Rachael Ray at his side, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) unveiled a bill on Thursday that proposes about $8 billion in additional funding over 10 years for child nutrition programs, including school breakfast and lunch.

As lawmakers in Michigan and several states ponder a tax on carbonated beverages, [Antonia] Silva says it would likely not curtail her consumption… Her statements reflect the reality confronting lawmakers who hope a tax on soda pop could curb childhood obesity: Unless you tax the beverage at a high enough rate, you're unlikely to significantly reduce consumption.

Representatives from two local schools will head to New York City next week to be honored at the The National Healthy Schools Forum for their childhood obesity prevention efforts. Page-Jackson Elementary School and South Jefferson Elementary School are just two of 179 schools nationwide that are receiving recognition for their hard work in creating an environment for both students and staff where healthy eating and daily physical activity are the norm.

Editor’s Note: This article features local schools being honored by the Healthy Schools Program, a grantee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Imagine the day your doctor hands you a recipe instead of a prescription. Or what if hospitals were equipped with teaching kitchens where patients could trade in their hospital gowns for aprons before being discharged. That's the vision of Dr. David Eisenberg, who is on a mission to get America cooking. And he wants doctors to be the major drivers of the movement.

Indiana high school students are more likely than their peers nationwide to meet the recommended levels of physical activity, according to the 2009 Indiana Youth Risk Behavior Survey released Thursday. However, State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin does not find this fact comforting, as the same study revealed that same group of teens continued to have an obesity rate of 12.8 percent – well above the national goal of below 5 percent.

The debate about how to fix school lunch has, until now, focused largely on what is sold in schools: Public health advocates argue that french fries and cookies should be banned, and some schools have done just that. Food manufacturers and some parents retort that such deprivation will only encourage students to get their fix elsewhere. Now, researchers such as [Brian] Wansink are turning their attention to how school food is sold and to whether marketing and incentives can help fight obesity, often at little or no cost.

Editor’s Note: The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, mentioned in this article, is an RWJF grantee.