10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference

On behalf of the conference hosts, welcome to the 10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference to be held July 15-18, 2019 at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel in Anaheim, California! Conference hosts include The California Department of Public Health, California Department of Education, Nutrition Policy Institute UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, The California Endowment, and Kaiser Permanente.

The 10th biennial Childhood Obesity Conference is the nation’s largest, most influential collaboration of professionals dedicated to combating pediatric obesity/overweight. Nearly 2,000 attendees from across the country are expected to attend in 2019.
Join us as we continue to share and discuss emerging research, best practices, community-based efforts and effective policy strategies that promote and sustain healthy eating and physical activity practices for children, adolescents and their families!

Conference Theme

This year’s conference theme is, “Beyond Obesity: Tackling Root Causes”. This theme invites conference participants to take a deeper dive into the societal, structural, and economic factors that lead to health disparities, and work together towards creating equitable outcomes so that all children can attain their highest level of physical and mental health. For many years, the conference has focused on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional approaches to good nutrition and increasing physical activity for obesity prevention and treatment.  To tackle root causes, we must use and focus those efforts in conjunction with addressing the unequal conditions in our communities—the social determinants of health—that create systems of unequal access to resources that support optimal health. While the understanding that social determinants of health create structural inequities that lead to health inequities is not new, the commitment to addressing broader root causes of those inequities as a part of obesity prevention has momentum and the determination of the practicing field.

This year’s conference invites discussion and learning around the root causes of poor health outcomes—economic stability, physical environment, education, food, health care, and the community and social context—and practical tools to apply those lessons in supporting children and families. By looking at how cross-sector collaboration, evidence-based community and clinical practice, and innovative policy work addresses longstanding inequities, we can find solutions to apply at any scale to support beneficial systemic change.

Conference Goals

1. Bring together diverse stakeholders to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and cross-sector collaborations, and to address socio-ecological factors to increase access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.


2. Share and discuss emerging research, best practices, community-based efforts and effective policy strategies that promote and sustain healthy eating and physical activity practices.


3. Elevate evidence and practice-based strategies that focus on reducing inequities in high-risk, low income communities.


4. Recognize opportunities to leverage State and Federal legislation to further policies and programs that aim to reduce overweight/obesity in children and adolescents (e.g. Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, Farm Bill, Affordable Care Act, Covered California etc.).

Conference Priorities

• Lift up evidence based interventions and community based initiatives that address health inequities, should be inclusive of programs that reach all populations that experience physical and mental health inequities, including low-income communities (both in urban and rural areas), children with disabilities, and that are culturally appropriate


• Address social, political, economic, and environmental factors that impact health equity


• Showcase evidence-based interventions and community programs that utilize multiple partners to achieve desired results, leverage resources and incorporates cross-sector collaboration


• Policy, system and environmental change approaches; “health in all policy” approaches


• Address the psychosocial side of childhood obesity


• Presence of local, state and national speakers and programs highlighted


• Balance of community-based/grassroots programming and rigorous research/evidence based programs that contribute to the existing research base to reduce childhood obesity rates in CA and the US


• Explore childhood obesity within the context of the larger community systems, including transportation systems, food systems, and education systems


• Consider life course concepts - such as timeline, timing, environment, and equity - and its impact on childhood obesity at all stages of development


• Emphasize both nutrition and physical activity model programming


• Highlight and call-out opportunities to leverage State and Federal legislation that aim to reduce overweight/obesity in children and adolescents (e.g. Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, Farm Bill, Affordable Care Act, Covered California etc.)


• Support and promote civic engagement (youth, parent/caretakers, families, policymakers)


• Showcase emerging obesity prevention topics/strategies and trends (e.g. community safety/violence prevention programs, climate change and its effects on our food system, healthy food finance etc.)


• Provide multiple opportunities for sharing and networking (e.g. roundtables, poster sessions, facilitated Q&A sessions with keynote speakers, receptions/special networking opportunities etc.)


• Provide a fun and safe shared learning environment that allows for an exchange of best practices that can be replicated/tailored throughout CA and the US

Conference Rationale

Obesity in children and adolescents carries serious health and social consequences and has continued to be a concerning and costly epidemic for families, communities, schools, and health care providers. During the past 30 years, obesity rates doubled for adults and preschool children, while tripling among school-age children and adolescents. In recent years however, progress has been evident. The national childhood obesity rate has leveled off and California is among the select few states that have reported modest decreases in childhood obesity rates. Despite signs of progress, racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in obesity rates still persist in California and across the country – our work is far from done.

Conference History

In response to the obesity epidemic, beginning in 2001 and every other year since, the Childhood Obesity Conference has become an important way for health care professionals, policy makers, educators, and community advocates to share strategies, develop partnerships, and coordinate their efforts to address the multivariate factors that influence obesity/overweight prevalence in children and adolescents. The conference is now the largest gathering of professionals on the topic of pediatric obesity/overweight in the nation.

Without the support of the conference hosts, sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, planning committee members and attendees over the last decade and a half, this conference would not be possible. The conference hopes to continue to serve as the premier meeting ground for those working to reduce the nation’s childhood obesity rates.

To access past conference materials and information, please use the following links:

2017 Childhood Obesity Conference website
2015 Childhood Obesity Conference website
2013 Childhood Obesity Conference website
2011 Childhood Obesity Conference website

(2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001 websites unavailable)