Starting Right Initiative

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1980. The Starting Right Initiative works to prevent, treat and reverse childhood obesity in low-income communities through medical care, health education, mental health support and community services. Services provided include: a physical exam to identify weight and nutrition issues (including screening for pre-diabetes and high blood pressure), one-on-one or group nutrition counseling, exercise programs, and cooking classes or supermarket outings to encourage healthy eating habits.

The Starting Right Initiative works to prevent, treat and reverse childhood obesity and malnutrition in low-income communities.

The Starting Right Initiative aims to encourage healthy eating habits in children and their families and works to reduce childhood obesity and malnutrition at seven project locations nationwide.

In affiliation with the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, the Starting Right Initiative has developed a pediatric obesity screening and diagnostic tool to better address the childhood obesity epidemic. The program has also trained providers to identify and address weight and nutrition issues and created bilingual and culturally appropriate health education materials for families dealing with weight and nutrition challenges. With the help of the Walmart Foundation, the Children's Health Fund has expanded or can continue the Starting Right Initiative at seven project locations: Baton Rouge Children’s Health Project, Dallas Children’s Health Project, Memphis Regional Children’s Health Project, Southern Arizona Children’s Health Project, West Virginia Children’s Health Project, New York Children's Health Project, and South Bronx Health Center.