The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Apr 25, 2008
A report on childhood health trends in the United States suggests that, while children's overall health has improved in recent years, rising obesity rates remain a serious concern, Reuters reports. Compiled by researchers at Duke University and the Foundation for Child Development, the report includes information on the well-being of children from birth to age 11 between 1994 and 2006.
They recommend that future investments in children's well-being strike a balance between policy improvements and good parenting, citing efforts to control school lunch menus and encourage exercise as top policy priorities.
They add that, going forward, it will be "important to invest in children's well-being from as early as birth to prepare children on the path to success throughout their lives" (Reuters, 4/24/08; Foundation for Child Development report, 4/24/08).