Voices for Healthy Kids: Lessons Learned from Policy Successes in Year 2 of the Advocacy Initiative

Since its launch in 2013, Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association, has been working to reverse the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic. Our strategy has revolved around the advancement of policy priority areas that strengthen and support state and local advocates by advancing evidence-based childhood obesity policy in order to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic.

There are six policy priorities, each focused around specific issue areas around childhood obesity: reducing consumption of sugary beverages; protecting children from unhealthy food and beverage marketing; increasing access to affordable healthy foods; increasing access to parks, playgrounds, walking paths, bike lanes and other opportunities to be physically active; and helping schools and youth-serving programs increase children’s physical activity levels.

Lessons learned from the policy successes and growth of the initiative in year two will help advocates develop expertise in childhood obesity public policy,  mobilize their networks for action, and work strategically to deliver advocacy resources to state and local coalitions.