Evaluating New York State Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs

• Found healthier eating behaviors and lower rates of obesity two years after improvements to the WIC program, including increases in breast-feeding among infants, consumption of low- or non-fat milk among children ages two to five years old,  and consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains among children ages one to five years old;
• Published key findings in peer-reviewed journals, including the article “Changing WIC Changes What Children Eat” in Obesity;
• Presented findings at The Obesity Society, Population Association of America, National WIC Association, and American Public Health Association; and
• Generated interest in designing similar WIC program evaluations in other states.

The New York State WIC program has already begun to incorporate program improvements into its work based on this research. For example:

• Reinforcing messaging and materials for FitWIC, recommendations to reduce screen time and increase physical activities and get children outside (especially for mothers and caregivers);
• Adding/strengthening messages about not topping up (adding cereal or sweeteners to an infant’s bottle), reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and highlighting the impact of very early-feeding practices on obesity and eating habits later on in life;
• Informing vendors how to handle requests and/or process vouchers for 2% or whole-fat milk, fruits, and vegetables; and
• Promoting more discussions about ideas/views on infant feeding and addressing parental views on using food as a reward.

Co-Funding and Additional Funds Leveraged: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) contributed $2 million and the New York State Department of Health contributed $394,000 to this project. The Mailman School of Public Health also leveraged an additional $399,943 from RWJF for a supplemental study, “Profiles of Participation in WIC and Other Healthy Living Programs for Preschoolers in New York.”