Program to combat childhood obesity wins grant

A Boston organization that works to improve children's health has won a $3.25 million grant to fight childhood obesity by enlisting healthcare professionals to become community advocates for local changes.

The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality will use the money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to train and connect healthcare providers as they work on policies and environmental changes that foster healthier eating and more physical activity. Increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables or providing safe routes for children to walk to school are two examples of the kind of changes the grant is intended to encourage, project director Rachelle Mirkin said.

The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality will work with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the California Medical Association Foundation on the project. The program is seeking nominations for communities and will make choices based on the level of need, particularly in underserved populations, and programs already in place, Mirkin said.