Youth Obesity Learning Collaborative

Obesity is the second greatest killer of Americans, after tobacco use.  The extent of the problem is alarming, and it has spread from the adult population to children.  Approximately 30% of childern and adolescents ages 6-11 are overweight, and 15% are obese.  Adverse health effects associated with overweight in youth include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and orthopedic complications.

The Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI), a program of HRET, in partnership with the American Hospital Association, is working to identify and refine effective approaches to preventing and reducing youth obesity.  Through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACHI is forming a learning collaborative of six urban hospitals that are leading effective youth obesity programs targeted at diverse, underserved populations.

The collaborative is a cooperative effort between ACHI and the following organizations:

  • The American Hospital Association
  • CDC Division of Public and Private Partnerships
  • INTEGRIS Health of Oklahoma
  • The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and the Komansky Center for Children’s Health of NewYork-Presbyterian
  • National Center for Health Marketing

From November 2005 through January 2006, ACHI collected applications from hospitals and health systems interested in taking part in the learning collaborative.  Six additional learning collaborative sites will be announced in late February. 

The learning collaborative will work with participants for at least one year to enhance their programs, codify lessons and effective practices, and disseminate lessons and practices from the collaborative to hospitals throughout the country. Work will also include developing operational guidance for hospitals, public health departments, and other community-based partners to implement effective programs and policies in their communities.

Click here to Learn More on the Youth Obesity Learning Collaborative

Contact Michael Bilton at mbilton@aha.org for further details.