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Arnold School of Public Health

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Addressing childhood obesity is a key focus and priority of many faculty of USC. One particular group, Arnold Healthy Kids Initiative, focuses on increasing physical activity and healthy eating among school-aged children. The emphasis of this work is on instilling healthy habits in children to promotes healthy aging throughout the lifespan.

Current Novel Research Efforts

  • Helping children consume healthful foods and beverages to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
  • Scale down to promote the South Carolina Obesity Action Plan, a tactical plan that aims to build on the success of previous efforts and offers new strategies to reduce obesity rates in the Palmetto State.
  • Local policies for improving the school food environment in South Carolina.

Associated Affiliate Scholars

  • Chalak A, Akl C, Haddad J, Ghattas H, et al. What drives schoolchildren’s food choices? Insights from a gamified stated-preference choice experiment in Tunisia. Food Quality and Preference. 2026;142:105910. doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2026.105910
  • Hoy K, Jones S, Davis RE, Blake C, Burke M. Stakeholder Perspectives on Applying for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in Low-Resource Schools. Journal of School Health. 2026;96(5):e70151. doi:10.1111/josh.70151 
  • Kiely KP, Brazendale K, Hill M, Beets MW, Adams EL, Weaver GR, et al. Obesogenic behaviors during structured periods among children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. Published online February 5, 2026. doi:10.1186/s12966-026-01881-5
  • Pries AM, Craig H, Mehra V, Frongillo EA, et al. Healthy Diet Metrics for Children and Adolescents and Their Suitability for Global Monitoring: A Critical Review. Adv Nutr. 2026;17(6):100622. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2026.100622 
  • Ritchie LD, McLain AC, Dowda M, Pate R, Frongillo EA, et al. Family matters: home characteristics related to dietary intake of fruit, vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages in a national cross-sectional sample of school-aged children in the U.S. BMC Nutr. Published online May 2, 2026. doi:10.1186/s40795-026-01339-8
  • Savidge MC, Burkart S, Pfledderer CD, Adams EL, Weaver GR, Beets MW, et al. Free summer programming on elementary-aged children’s food and beverage consumption: a randomized clinical trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2025;22(1):160. doi:10.1186/s12966-025-01861-1 
  • Weaver G, Finnegan O, WhiteIII JW, Beets MW, Adams EL, Savidge MC, Kaczynski AT, et al. The Weight of Summer: Children’s Fat and Body Mass Index Gain Accelerate during Summer. Childhood Obesity. Published online May 26, 2026:21532176261454484. doi:10.1177/21532176261454484 

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