Evaluating U.S. children's food purchases and caloric intake to gauge the food industry's impact on prevention of childhood obesity

Concept: To conduct an independent, rigorous and transparent evaluation of the effects of the Michelle Obama and Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation's marketplace initiative to reduce excess calories in the processed foods and beverages purchased for and consumed by US children and adolescents. Goals: Evaluating the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) initiative represents a unique opportunity to advance our goal of reversing the rise in childhood obesity: (1) HWCF is the largest industry initiative of this type and the first to focus on reducing consumption of excess non-nutritive calories; (2) HWCF is taking place at a time of peak national interest in public/ private-sector collaboration to prevent childhood obesity; and (3) a rigorous industry-independent and transparent evaluation will help to build public trust in HWCF activities to guide and motivate continued industry efforts to curb childhood obesity.

Principal Investigator: Barry M. Popkin

CPC Fellow Investigator: David K. Guilkey , Shuwen Ng

Funding Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Funding Period: 6/15/2011 - 7/31/2012