USDA has awarded $4 million in grants to establish four regional centers that will conduct research on nutrition education and obesity prevention in the US. The grants will also fund a coordinating center to develop and test innovative ways to teach nutrition education prevent obesity in underserved, low-income families.
“Nearly one in three children today is overweight or obese, and nutrition promotion strategies, including education, public policies, health systems, and environmental changes, are the key to reversing this trend,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “These grants provide the opportunity to improve the health of our next generation and ensure that all children have access to the tools they need to improve their nutrition and physical fitness.”