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About the Center |
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Center for Childhood Obesity Research Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has doubled for preschool children and adolescents and has tripled for children between the ages of 6 and 11. Approximately nine million American children over the age of six are already considered obese. The childhood obesity epidemic demands action, but action requires an evidence base that does not currently exist. Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development has responded to this public health crisis by creating the Center for Childhood Obesity Research. The top priority for the Center is to conduct research that will contribute to the evidence base for the development of successful childhood obesity prevention programs. Successful childhood obesity prevention requires making changes at multiple levels of society, from the family unit to the community at large. Interventions must provide support to individuals, families, schools, health care providers, and communities in making changes that will foster healthier eating and activity patterns among children and adolescents. These changes will reduce the risk of childhood obesity and promote healthy, age-appropriate growth and development. The Center’s focus on childhood obesity research will draw on existing College strengths, provide a focus for building new collaborations, and attract resources and national recognition. |
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