The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Challenge Calls for New Proposals to Combat Childhood Obesity

This month, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced the start of The Childhood Obesity Challenge, a competition to find new, creative ways to combat childhood obesity. The contest is encouraging anyone and everyone to innovate and submit an idea by the deadline of 5 PM EST on August 15, 2012. Both individuals and groups can enter and ideas can address any area in obesity. Examples include ways to keep children more active and better tools to measure how much children exercise each day. Submissions should include a short description of the idea and can be supplemented with videos, pictures, apps, or other media. The winning proposal will be featured in AJPM and receive $2,500, with the second place winner receiving $1,000 and third place $500. Even if you don’t enter the competition, check back on September 30 to vote for your favorite proposal (and maybe leave with a new idea or two about keeping your community healthy) – the entry with the most votes will take home the Popular Choice Award and $1,000. –KM