Our goal: reverse the trend of climbing childhood obesity rates by 2025
Sadly, more than 40% of the children in central Indiana are at an unhealthy weight. Why? The causes of the obesity epidemic are numerous and complex.
Food has become highly processed, calorie dense, and “super-sized.” Many families lack access to affordable, healthy food. Children have fewer opportunities to play and be active, as recess and physical education classes have been reduced or cut entirely in schools. Too many kids spend too much time sitting in front of computer screens, tablets or smart phones. Many of them live in neighborhoods that lack safe places to play.
Simply promoting public awareness and “personal responsibility” will not solve this crisis. There are no simple or one-size-fits-all solutions. In addition, no single entity or organization is able to tackle the issue on its own.
Jump IN for a new approach
Jump IN has convened dozens of stakeholders to develop a set of multi-sector strategies that address the many causes of obesity.
Creating Healthy Places
Embed healthy nutrition and physical activity policies into those settings that directly influence children’s behavior (such as school and child care). Learn more
Creating Healthy Neighborhoods
Solve systemic issues such as lack of access to affordable, nutritious food and a scarcity of environments that promote physical activity. Learn more
Creating Healthy Communities
Increase public awareness and education, influence public policy, and connect clinical care with community resources. Learn more
Evaluation and Metrics
We promote proven best practices and pursue innovative, promising practices. Yet in each instance, we must continually evaluate those efforts and outcomes with evidence-based rigor and objectivity. We evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of these strategies and share that data with the community. Learn more
Get the childhood obesity fact sheet, including what we can do to reduce the prevalence in central Indiana:
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Education and personal responsibility are critical elements of any program to reduce obesity, but not sufficient on their own. Additional interventions are needed that rely less on conscious choices by individuals and more on changes to the environment and societal norms. Such interventions ‘reset the defaults’ to make healthy behaviors easier.
McKinsey Global Institute, Overcoming Obesity: An Initial Economic Impact (2014)