USDA Funds Childhood Obesity Intervention Project

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the University of Arkansas at 5-year, $4.78 million grant to fund a childhood obesity intervention project.

The multi-campus project, Interventions for Obesity Prevention Targeting Young Children in At-Risk Environments: An Integrated Approach," will identify characteristics of the food environment that contribute to childhood obesity and develop ways to target children most at risk for obesity. The interventions will help improve childrens diets, promote physical activity and encourage other healthy behaviors.

The project also will improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables via a direct farm-to-school distribution network linking local farmers to these schools. The interventions also will be incorporated into a comprehensive curriculum for use in Head Start, preschool and early elementary classrooms.

 Our goals are to improve the diet and healthy behaviors of children, especially those at risk for obesity, and equip educators, childcare providers and other practitioners to tackle the childhood obesity crisis," said Rudy Nayga, professor of agricultural economics, who will lead the project. Childhood obesity is a complex and multifaceted problem. This project involves innovative research and educational programming that is designed to bring several complementary interventions to scale, each addressing different aspects of the childhood obesity crisis."