OUR APPROACH

Based at the Tufts University Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, ChildObesity180 merged the best in public health research and practice with the expertise and experience of business, government, and nonprofit leaders. When these perspectives come together, a creative tension exists that balances the academic focus on discovering what works and why, with the entrepreneurial perspective that quick and intentional action is needed above all else. What we see is that when these perspectives and experiences are blended, big things happen.

OUR APPROACH
Solutions

Multi-sector Leadership
and Collaboration

ChildObesity180 used its cross-sector composition, diverse connections, and expertise to generate urgency, traction, and impact to drive change on a national scale. We worked toward accelerating the pace of change and preventing childhood obesity in communities across the nation. Our commitment to multi-sector collaboration was reflected in the composition of the Charter Membership, core leadership, staff, and partners. Learn more about our people.

Solutions
Solutions

Sustainability

From the inception of an idea to the implementation of our national initiatives, ChildObesity180 focused on sustainable, long-term impact. Innovative partnerships and engaging diverse funders were two of the strategies we emphasized in order to develop and implement our initiatives. Over time, we envision that the types of solutions developed by our initiatives will be embedded and sustained in childhood obesity prevention efforts across the nation. Learn more about our funding partners.

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Evidence-Based

ChildObesity180 was committed to using the best available scientific evidence to inform our decisions. This means that we used evidence-based research to develop our initiatives and monitor and measure our performance against established goals. Whenever compelling new evidence was generated, through our own research efforts or through the work of other experts, we updated our approach based on this new knowledge. Learn more about our evidence-based approach.

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Diverse Portfolio
of Initiatives

Recognizing that no one solution will solve the childhood obesity epidemic or the inequities among demographic groups, we were committed to executing a diverse portfolio of high-impact initiatives that collectively influenced a child’s daily energy balance. We evaluated more than 100 childhood obesity prevention recommendations from leading organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President.

Recommendations were evaluated based on seven characteristics to determine organizational priorities: evidence base, scale, equity, impact, feasibility, multi-sectoral contribution, and time to results.

Read more about our initiatives:

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National Knowledge Dissemination

ChildObesity180 generates and disseminates knowledge related to the organization’s impact and application of innovative and collaborative strategies. ChildObesity180's leadership and staff regularly present at scientific and public policy conferences, such as:

  • The Obesity Society Annual Conference
  • American Public Health Association Conference
  • Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
  • American Society for Nutrition at Experimental Biology Annual Conference

ChildObesity180 has a number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that advance the field of obesity prevention, and is continually working to contribute to the research base. We also work to share knowledge in innovative and accessible ways. ChildObesity180 actively pursues opportunities to share the organization's unique model, evidence-based approach, and research findings.

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