Nearly one in six children in the U.S. is obese, representing a serious public health problem. Children covered by Medicaid are particularly at risk, with this population nearly six times more likely to be treated for obesity than those who are privately insured. Collaborative partnerships between public health and Medicaid can leverage each entity’s respective strengths and resources to advance interventions aimed at reducing obesity in this vulnerable population.

This resource center provides practical tools and strategies to spur Medicaid-public health collaboration to reduce childhood obesity among low-income populations. It is a product of CHCS’ Innovations in Childhood Obesity initiative, which engaged Medicaid and public health leaders in five states to develop, implement, and test cross-sector interventions to reduce obesity in high-risk, high-need children.

A Foundation for CollaborationBuilding the Evidence BaseProvider Education and EngagementMedicaid FinancingSchool-Based Obesity PreventionSustainability