Issue Category: Obesity/Chronic Disease

New Report: «state» has the «rank_upper» Adult Obesity Rate in Nation

Rates Increased in Five States

Washington, D.C., September 21, 2015 – At «rate» percent, «state» now has the «rank_lower» adult obesity rate in the nation, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Across the country, rates increased in five states (Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah) and remained stable in the rest.

Rates of obesity are above 35 percent for the first time ever in three states (Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi), are at or above 30 percent in 22 states and are not below 21 percent in any. Arkansas had the highest rate of obesity at 35.9 percent, while Colorado had the lowest at 21.3 percent. In 1980, no state had a rate above 15 percent, and in 1991, no state had a rate above 20.

The State of Obesity finds that significant geographic, income, racial and ethnic disparities persist, with obesity rates highest in the South and among Blacks, Latinos and lower-income, less-educated Americans. Obesity puts some 78 million Americans at an increased risk for a range of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

“Efforts to prevent and reduce obesity over the past decade have made a difference. Stabilizing rates is an accomplishment. However, given the continued high rates, it isn’t time to celebrate,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “We’ve learned that if we invest in effective programs, we can see signs of progress. But, we still haven’t invested enough to really tip the scales yet.”

Other key findings from The State of Obesity include:

• Obesity rates differ by region, age and race/ethnicity:

  • 7 of the 10 states with the highest rates are in the South and 23 of the 25 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South and Midwest.
  • 9 of the 10 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South. Diabetes rates increased in eight states – Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
  • American Indian/Alaska Natives have the highest adult obesity rate, 54 percent, of any racial or ethnic group.
  • Nationally, obesity rates are 38 percent higher among Blacks than Whites; and more than 26 percent higher among Latinos than Whites.
  • Nationally, obesity rates are 47.8 percent for Blacks («black_rate»); 42.5 percent for Latinos («latino_rate» percent in «state»); and 32.6 percent for Whites («white_rate» percent in «state»).
  • Adult obesity rates are at or above 40 percent for Blacks in 14 states.
  • Adult obesity rates are at or above 30 percent in: 42 states for Blacks; 30 states for Latinos; and 13 states for Whites.
  • Obesity rates are 26 percent higher among middle-age adults than among younger adults―increasing from 30 percent of 20- to 39- year olds to nearly 40 percent of 40- to 59-year-olds.
  • More than 6 percent of adults are severely obese — more than a 125 percent increase in the past two decades. Around 5 percent of children are already severely obese by the ages of 6 to 11.
  • Among children and teens ages 2 to 19, 22.5 percent of Latinos, more than 20 percent of Blacks and 14.1 percent of Whites are obese.

• Prevention among children is key.

  It is easier and more effective to prevent overweight and obesity in children, by helping every child maintain a healthy weight, than it is to reverse trends later. The biggest dividends are gained by starting in early childhood, promoting good nutrition and physical activity so children enter kindergarten at a healthy weight.

• Healthy communities can help people lead healthy lives.

  Small changes that make it easier and more affordable to buy healthy foods and beverages and be physically active can lead to big differences. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The New York Academy of Medicine, and other experts have identified a range of policies and programs (e.g., improving school nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle interventions, health screenings, walking programs) that can help create healthier communities. Lower-income communities often face higher hurdles, and need more targeted efforts.

“In order to build a national Culture of Health, we must help all children, no matter who they are or where they live, grow up at a healthy weight,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of RWJF. “We know that when we take comprehensive steps to help families be more active and eat healthier foods, we can see progress. Now we must extend those efforts and that progress to every community in the country.”

The State of Obesity also reviews key programs that can help prevent and address obesity by improving nutrition in schools, child care and food assistance; increasing physical activity before, during and after school; expanding healthcare coverage for preventing and treating obesity; making healthy affordable food and safe places to be active more accessible in neighborhoods, such as through Complete Streets and healthy food financing initiatives; increasing healthy food options via public-private partnerships; and creating and sustaining policies that help all children maintain a healthy weight and adults be as healthy as possible, no matter their weight.

This is the 12th annual edition of The State of Obesity (formerly known as the F as in Fat report series) report. The full report, with state rankings in all categories and updated interactive maps, charts and graphs, is available at http://stateofobesity.org. Follow the conversation at #StateofObesity.

2014 State-by-State Adult Obesity Rates

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

1. Arkansas (35.9); 2. West Virginia (35.7); 3. Mississippi (35.5); 4. Louisiana (34.9); 5. Alabama (33.5); 6. Oklahoma (33.0); 7. Indiana (32.7); 8. Ohio (32.6); 9. North Dakota (32.2); 10. South Carolina (32.1); 11. Texas (31.9); 12. Kentucky (31.6); 13. Kansas (31.3); 14. (tie) Tennessee (31.2) and Wisconsin (31.2); 16. Iowa (30.9); 17. (tie) Delaware (30.7) and Michigan (30.7); 19. Georgia (30.5); 20. (tie) Missouri (30.2) and Nebraska (30.2) and Pennsylvania (30.2); 23. South Dakota (29.8); 24. (tie) Alaska (29.7) and North Carolina (29.7); 26. Maryland (29.6); 27. Wyoming (29.5); 28. Illinois (29.3); 29. (tie) Arizona (28.9) and Idaho (28.9); 31. Virginia (28.5); 32. New Mexico (28.4); 33. Maine (28.2); 34. Oregon (27.9); 35. Nevada (27.7); 36. Minnesota (27.6); 37. New Hampshire (27.4); 38. Washington (27.3); 39. (tie) New York (27.0) and Rhode Island (27.0); 41. New Jersey (26.9); 42. Montana (26.4); 43. Connecticut (26.3); 44. Florida (26.2); 45. Utah (25.7); 46. Vermont (24.8); 47. California (24.7); 48. Massachusetts (23.3); 49. Hawaii (22.1); 50. District of Columbia (21.7); 51. Colorado (21.3).

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. For more information, visit www.healthyamericans.org.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

New Report: «state» has the «ob_rank_cap» Adult Obesity Rate in Nation

Rates Increased in Only Six States Since Last Year – «increase» «state»

Washington, D.C., September 4, 2014 – «state» now has the «ob_rank_lower» adult obesity rate in the nation, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

The annual report found that «state»’s adult obesity rate is «ob_percent» percent and rates only increased in six states in the past year – (Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wyoming) – and did not decrease in any. Rates of obesity are above 35 percent for the first time ever in two states (Mississippi and West Virginia), are at or exceed 30 percent in 20 states and are not below 21 percent in any.

National findings reveal that significant geographic, income, racial and ethnic disparities persist, with obesity rates highest in the South and among Blacks, Latinos and lower-income, less-educated Americans. The report also found that more than one in ten children become obese as early as ages 2 to 5.

Other key findings from The State of Obesity include:

After decades of rising obesity rates among adults, the rate of increase is beginning to slow, but rates remain far too high and disparities persist.

• In 2005, the obesity rate increased in every state but one; this past year, only six states experienced an increase. In last year’s report, only one state, Arkansas, experienced an increase in its adult obesity rate.
• Obesity rates remain higher among Black and Latino communities than among Whites:
  • Adult obesity rates for Blacks in «state» were «black». Overall, rates are at or above 40 percent in 11 states, 35 percent in 29 states and 30 percent in 41 states.
  • Rates of adult obesity among Latinos in «state» were «hispanic» percent. Overall, rates exceeded 35 percent in five states and 30 percent in 23 states.
  • Among Whites, adult obesity rates were «white» percent in «state». Overall, rates topped 30 percent in 10 states.
• Nine out of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South.
• Baby Boomers (45-to 64-year-olds)* have the highest obesity rates of any age group – and «boomer_rate» percent of Baby Boomers in «state» are obese. Nationally, rates topped 35 percent in 17 states and 30 percent in 40 states.
• More than 33 percent of adults 18 and older who earn less than $15,000 per year are obese, compared with 25.4 percent who earn at least $50,000 per year.
• More than 6 percent of adults are severely** obese; the number of severely obese adults has quadrupled in the past 30 years.

“Obesity in America is at a critical juncture. Obesity rates are unacceptably high, and the disparities in rates are profoundly troubling,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “We need to intensify prevention efforts starting in early childhood and do a better job of implementing effective policies and programs in all communities – so every American has the greatest opportunity to have a healthy weight and live a healthy life.”

The national childhood obesity rate has leveled off, and rates have declined in some places and among some groups, but disparities persist and severe obesity may be on the rise.

• As of 2011-2012:
  • Nearly one out of three children and teens ages 2 to 19 is overweight or obese, and national obesity rates among this age group have remained stable for 10 years.
  • More than 1 in 10 children become obese between the ages of 2 to 5; and 5 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds are severely obese.
  • Racial and ethnic disparities emerge in childhood (ages 2-19): The obesity rates are 22.4 percent among Hispanics, 20.2 percent among Blacks and 14.1 percent among Whites.
• Between 2008 and 2011, 18 states«wic» and one U.S. territory experienced a decline in obesity rates among preschoolers from low-income families.

“While adult rates are stabilizing in many states, these data suggest that our overall progress in reversing America’s obesity epidemic is uneven and fragile,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “A growing number of cities and states have reported decreases in obesity among children, showing that when we make comprehensive changes to policies and community environments, we can build a Culture of Health that makes healthy choices the easy and obvious choices for kids and adults alike. Going forward, we must spread what works to prevent obesity to every state and region, with special focus on those communities where rates remain the highest.”

The State of Obesity reviews existing policies and issues high-priority recommendations for making affordable healthy foods and safe places for physical activity available to all Americans, such as focusing on healthy food financing, improving nutrition and activity in schools and child care settings, limiting the marketing of unhealthy foods to kids, and improving the built environment to support increased physical activity. In addition, for this year’s report, TFAH and RWJF partnered with the NAACP, Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children, and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research to identify more effective strategies for implementing obesity-prevention policies in Black and Latino communities.

Recommendations, which were based on a series of in-depth interviews with public health experts in Black and Latino communities around the country, included:

• Expanding access to affordable healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity by increasing resources for programs, connecting obesity-prevention initiatives with other ongoing community programs, and other approaches;
• Providing education and addressing cultural differences to both improve people’s knowledge about nutrition and physical activity and make initiatives more relevant to their daily lives; and
• Making sustainability, community input, involvement and shared leadership top priorities of obesity-prevention initiatives from the outset.

The State of Obesity (formerly known as the F as in Fat report series) is the 11^th annual report produced by TFAH and RWJF, with support by a grant from RWJF. The full report, with state rankings in all categories and new interactive maps, is available at http://stateofobesity.org. Follow the conversation at #StateofObesity.

* (45-64 Year Olds, includes most Baby Boomers, who range from 49-67 year olds)

Adult obesity = Body Mass Index of 30 or more; **Severe obesity in adults = BMI of 40 or more. Childhood obesity = BMI at or above the 95^th percentile for children of same age/sex; Severe obesity in children = BMI greater than 120 percent of 95^th percentile for children of same age/sex.

2013 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RATES

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

1. (tie) Mississippi and West Virginia (35.1%); 3. Arkansas (34.6%); 4. Tennessee (33.7%); 5. Kentucky (33.2%); 6. Louisiana (33.1%); 7. Oklahoma (32.5%); 8. Alabama (32.4%); 9. Indiana (31.8%); 10. South Carolina (31.7%); 11. Michigan (31.5%); 12. Iowa (31.3%); 13. Delaware (31.1%); 14. North Dakota (31%); 15. Texas (30.9%); 16. (tie) Missouri and Ohio (30.4%); 18. Georgia (30.3%); 19. (tie) Kansas and Pennsylvania (30%); 21. South Dakota (29.9%); 22. Wisconsin (29.8%); 23. (tie) Idaho and Nebraska (29.6%); 25. (tie) Illinois and North Carolina (29.4%); 27. Maine (28.9%); 28. Alaska (28.4%); 29. Maryland (28.3%); 30. Wyoming (27.8%); 31. Rhode Island (27.3%); 32. (tie) Virginia and Washington (27.2%); 34. Arizona (26.8%); 35. New Hampshire (26.7%); 36. Oregon (26.5%); 37. (tie) Florida and New Mexico (26.4%); 39. New Jersey (26.3%); 40. Nevada (26.2%); 41. Minnesota (25.5%); 42. New York (25.4%); 43. Connecticut (25.0%); 44. Vermont (24.7%); 45. Montana (24.6%); 46. (tie) California and Utah (24.1%); 48. Massachusetts (23.6%); 49. Washington, D.C. (22.9%) 50. Hawaii (21.8%); 51. Colorado (21.3%).

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. For more information, visit www.healthyamericans.org.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve the health and health care of all Americans. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all Americans to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

New Report: «state» is «ob_rank_cap» Obese State in Nation

Obesity Rates Remain High but Hold Steady «h2» Nation, Only Arkansas Sees Increase

Washington, D.C., August 15, 2013 –«state» is now the «ob_rank_lower» obese state in the nation, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2013, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

After three decades of increases, adult obesity rates remained level in every state except for one, Arkansas, in the past year.

However, rates remain high—«state»’s adult obesity rate is «ob_percent» and 13 states have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, 41 states have rates of at least 25 percent, and every state is above 20 percent, according to the report. In 1980, no state was above 15 percent; in 1991, no state was above 20 percent; in 2000, no state was above 25 percent; and, in 2007, only Mississippi was above 30 percent.*

Since 2005, there has been some evidence that the rate of increase has been slowing. In 2005, every state but one experienced an increase in obesity rates; in 2008, rates increased in 37 states; in 2010, rates increased in 28 states; and in 2011, rates increased in 16 states.*

“While stable rates of adult obesity may signal prevention efforts are starting to yield some results, the rates remain extremely high,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “Even if the nation holds steady at the current rates, Baby Boomers—who are aging into obesity-related illnesses—and the rapidly rising numbers of extremely obese Americans are already translating into a cost crisis for the healthcare system and Medicare.”

Levi added, “In order to decrease obesity and related costs, we must ensure that policies at every level support healthy choices, and we must focus investments on prevention.”

Key findings from the 2013 F as in Fat report include:

• Rates vary by region. Of the states with the 20 highest adult obesity rates, only Pennsylvania is not in the South or Midwest. For the first time in eight years, Mississippi no longer has the highest rate—Louisiana at 34.7 percent is the highest, followed closely by Mississippi at 34.6 percent. Colorado had the lowest rate at 20.5 percent.
• Rates vary by age. «state»’s obesity rate for Baby Boomers (45-to 64-year-olds)** is «boomer_rate» and, nationally, rates for Boomers have reached 40 percent in two states (Alabama and Louisiana) and are 30 percent or higher in 41 states. By comparison, the obesity rate for seniors (65+ years old) in «state» is «obese_65» and rates exceed 30 percent in only one state (Louisiana). The young adult (18-to 25-year-olds) obesity rate in «state» is «obese_18» and rates are below 28 percent in every state.
• Rates by gender are now consistent. Ten years ago, there was nearly a 6 percentage point difference between rates for men and women (men: 27.5 percent, women: 33.4 percent), and now rates are nearly the same (men: 35.8 percent, women 35.5 percent). Men’s obesity rates have been climbing faster than women’s for this last decade. «state»’s obesity rate is «men» for men and «women» for women.
• Rates of “extreme” obesity have grown dramatically. Rates of adult Americans with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher have grown in the past 30 years from 1.4 percent to 6.3 percent—a 350 percent increase. Among children and teens (2-to 19-year-olds), more than 5.1 percent of males and 4.7 percent of females are now severely obese.
• Rates vary by education. More than 35 percent of adults ages 26 and older who did not graduate high school are obese, compared with 21.3 percent of those who graduated from college or technical college.
• Rates vary by income. More than 31 percent of adults ages 18 and older who earn less than $25,000 per year were obese, compared with 25.4 percent of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.

In addition to the latest data showing a stable rate for adult obesity, a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this month shows 18 states«wic» and one U.S. territory experienced a decline in obesity rates among preschool children from low-income families. The report provides state-specific trends in obesity rates among children ages 2 to 4 who are enrolled in federal health and nutrition programs, such as the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

“After decades of unrelenting bad news, we’re finally seeing signs of progress. In addition to today’s news about the steady rates for adults, we’ve seen childhood obesity rates declining in cities and states that were among the first to adopt a comprehensive approach to obesity prevention,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “But no one should believe the nation’s work is done. We’ve learned a lot in the last decade about how to prevent obesity. Now it’s time to take that knowledge to scale.”

F as in Fat features a series examining high-impact policies to prevent and reduce obesity in the United States. The series highlights significant policy accomplishments over the past decade, including: historic changes to nutrition standards for school foods, improved health screenings for children; changes to improve nutrition and health counseling in the WIC program; increased understanding about how the built environment affects our ability to eat healthy foods and be physically active; the growth of a “complete streets” movement; the launch of a Prevention and Public Health Fund and National Prevention Strategy; and a growth in community-based programs for obesity and related illnesses.

The report includes a growing set of strategies that have improved health– but stresses that they are not yet implemented or funded at a level to reduce obesity trends significantly. Some key recommendations from the report regarding strategies that should be taken to scale include:

• All food in schools must be healthy;
• Kids and adults should have access to more opportunities to be physically active on a regular basis;
• Restaurants should post calorie information on menus;
• Food and beverage companies should market only their healthiest products to children;
• The country should invest more in preventing disease to save money on treating it;
• America’s transportation plans should encourage walking and biking; and
• Everyone should be able to purchase healthy, affordable foods close to home.

The full report with state rankings in all categories and new interactive maps are available at fasinfat.org. TFAH and RWJF collaborated on the report, which was supported by a grant from RWJF.

2012 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RATES

According to recently released CDC data, part of the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

* In 2011, the CDC modernized the methodology for BRFSS, setting a new baseline for comparisons. The updated approach, incorporating cell phones and using an iterative proportional fitting data weighting method, means rates are even more reflective of each states’ population, but that the rates were determined in a different way than before 2011, which limits the ability to make direct change comparisons.

1.Louisiana (34.7%); 2. Mississippi (34.6%) 3. Arkansas (34.5%); 4. West Virginia (33.8%); 5. Alabama (33%); 6. Oklahoma (32.2%); 7. South Carolina (31.6%); 8. Indiana (31.4%); 9. Kentucky (31.3%); 10. (tie) Michigan and Tennessee (31.1%); 12. Iowa (30.4%); 13. Ohio (30.1%); 14. Kansas (29.9%); 15. (tie) North Dakota and Wisconsin (29.7%); 17. (tie) Missouri and North Carolina (29.6%); 19. Texas (29.2%); 20. (tie) Georgia and Pennsylvania (29.1%); 22. Nebraska (28.6%); 23. Maine (28.4%); 24. (tie) Illinois and South Dakota (28.1%); 26. Maryland (27.6%); 27. Virginia (27.4%); 28. (tie) New Hampshire and Oregon (27.3%); 30. New Mexico (27.1%); 31. Delaware (26.9%); 32. (tie) Idaho and Washington (26.8%); 34. Nevada (26.2%); 35. Arizona (26%); 36. (tie) Alaska and Minnesota and Rhode Island (25.7%); 39. Connecticut (25.6%); 40. Florida (25.2%); 41. California (25%); 42. (tie) New Jersey and Wyoming (24.6%); 44. (tie) Montana and Utah (24.3%); 46. Vermont (23.7%); 47. (tie) Hawaii and New York (23.6%); 49. Massachusetts (22.9%); 50. District of Columbia (21.9%); 51. Colorado (20.5%).

2012 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RANKINGS FOR BABY BOOMERS

** (45-64 Year Olds, includes most Baby Boomers, who range from 49-67 year olds)

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity. Data for this analysis was obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset (publicly available on the web at www.cdc.gov/brfss).

1. (tie) Alabama and Louisiana (40.0%); 3. Arkansas (38.9%); 4. Mississippi (38.5%); 5. Tennessee (38.2%); 6. West Virginia (37.8%); 7. Indiana (37.0%); 8. Missouri (36.9%); 9. South Carolina (36.8%); 10. Oklahoma (36.7%); 11. Kentucky (36.0%); 12. Iowa (35.9%); 13. Wisconsin (35.4%); 14. North Dakota (35.0%); 15. Texas (34.9%); 16. Ohio (34.8%); 17. North Carolina (34.7%); 18. Georgia (34.6%); 19. Nebraska (34.5%); 20 (tie) Maryland and Michigan (34.4%); 22. Kansas (34.3%); 23. Virginia (34.2%); 24. Illinois (33.6%); 25. Delaware (33.5%); 26. Pennsylvania (33.2%); 27. South Dakota (32.9%); 28. Maine (32.5%); 29. Alaska (32.4%); 30. Utah (32.3%); 31. Idaho (32.1%); 32. Oregon (32.0%); 33. District of Columbia (31.9%); 34. (tie) New Hampshire and Washington (31.3%); 36. Nevada (31.1%); 37. California (31.0%); 38. Florida (30.7%); 39. (tie) New Mexico and Rhode Island (30.2%); 41. Minnesota (30.0%); 42. Wyoming (29.4%); 43. Montana (29.1%); 44. Arizona (28.9%); 45. Connecticut (28.4%); 46. New York (27.6%); 47. Massachusetts (27.5%); 48. New Jersey (27.3%); 49. Hawaii (26.8%); 50. Vermont (26.4%); 51. Colorado (24.6%).

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. For more information, visit www.healthyamericans.org.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measureable, and timely change. For more than 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter www.rwjf.org/twitter or Facebook www.rwjf.org/facebook.