Newly released: Recommendations from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities calls for action on early childhood, healthy communities, and bridging health and health care. Read the report and explore the charts, infographics, and videos at RWJF.org

Stories

Read stories about people facing barriers to healthier decisions and their efforts to lead healthier lives.

  • Featured Story

    Dan Gauthreaux

    It all began with a couple of fidgety staffers. Design guru Mitchell Gold was in a meeting and noticed that a few employees seemed more interested in their watches than the conversation. As the minutes ticked toward 5 p.m., the parents in the room were silently fretting that theyd be late for the daily day care pick-up. And if they were late, theyd face extra charges. Meet Dan Gauthreaux

Select a story

  • April Manzanares

    April Manzanares

    When Wal-Mart rolled out its Personal Sustainability Project in 2006, it presented its employees with a challenge: What’s the one change you would make in your life to make the world a better place? April Manzanares, a Wal-Mart people manager in Broomfield, Colo., knew the answer right away. She wanted to be healthier.
    Meet April Manzanares

  • Andrea Silva

    Andrea Silva

    At Centura Health at Home in Denver, Andrea Silva resolved a struggle that many new mothers face – returning to work while continuing to provide nutritious breast milk for her baby.
    Meet Andrea Silva

  • Michaelene Wolff

    Michaelene Wolff

    For Wolff, an energetic and dedicated night-shift nurse, the decision to kick her “addiction” to food and start living healthy began with a simple question: “How can I educate my patients about being healthy and maintaining a good weight when I’m not doing it myself?”
    Meet Michaelene Wolff

  • Kathleen Dolezal

    Kathleen Dolezal

    When it came to warding off the threat of diabetes that has plagued her family, Kathleen Dolezal got a boost from an unexpected source: her employer, the State of Nebraska.
    Meet Kathleen Dolezal

  • Claudine Paris

    Claudine Paris

    At 71, Claudine Paris feels like a “rock star” every day she walks through the hallways of James John Elementary School in Portland, Ore., where she volunteers as a literacy tutor.
    Meet Claudine Paris

  • Ed Fendley

    Ed Fendley

    As chairman of the Arlington County School Board in the Northern Virginia suburbs, Ed Fendley touts walking and biking as good for the bottom line. Every teacher or student that passes up a ride in a car to get to school saves the district money on parking, reduces air pollution and alleviates traffic jams in front of local schools.
    Meet Ed Fendley

  • Norma Morales

    Norma Morales

    Sometimes all it takes is one good thing, leading to another, to get on the path to healthier living. At least, that’s how Norma Morales sees it.
    Meet Norma Morales

  • James Moon

    James Moon

    Staying healthy by eating right and getting exercise has a lot to do with individual choices. But communities can help—or hinder, says James Moon, an Arlington County, Va., resident.
    Meet James Moon

  • Abang Ojullu

    Abang Ojullu

    Abang Ojullu remembers all too vividly the day she put her eldest daughter on a small ambulance jet bound for Sioux Falls. The child’s asthma attack was too severe for doctors in rural Worthington, Minn. to treat.
    Meet Abang Ojullu

  • Charles Gliha

    Charles Gliha

    Chuck may not be a scientist or a physician but he knows firsthand that health and happiness go hand-in-hand. To him, it’s all about stepping out the front door of his house in Cleveland’s Slavic Village and having not just a sense of safety, but of well-being and fun.
    Meet Charles Gliha

  • Marsha Basloe

    Marsha Basloe

    Marsha has spent most of her professional career in the field of education but it took decades to reach the conclusion that early childhood development—the years before elementary school—is the key to it all.
    Meet Marsha Basloe

  • Teresa Rubio and daughter Ana Baltazar

    Teresa Rubio and daughter Ana Baltazar

    Teresa tries to guide her daughter, Ana, toward healthy choices – less bread and burgers, more vegetables. But busy parents can’t be with their children every minute of every day.
    Meet Teresa Rubio and daughter Ana Baltazar

  • Dan Gauthreaux

    Dan Gauthreaux

    It all began with a couple of fidgety staffers. Design guru Mitchell Gold was in a meeting and noticed that a few employees seemed more interested in their watches than the conversation. As the minutes ticked toward 5 p.m., the parents in the room were silently fretting that they’d be late for the daily day care pick-up. And if they were late, they’d face extra charges.
    Meet Dan Gauthreaux

  • Tina Evans

    Tina Evans

    When Tina first began taking her daughter to the Durham, N.C., YMCA, the goal was to improve Kieria’s grades. Tina, who works full-time in hospital admissions, tried to help Kieria herself. "But we needed somebody outside the family to help her get on track," says Tina, explaining that parents often have trouble filling the role of tutor. In short order, Kieria’s Cs in math and reading became As and Bs.
    Meet Tina Evans

  • Malcolm Hamlett

    Malcolm Hamlett

    Malcolm is the sort of teen who makes everything look easy. Star basketball player. Decent grades. Confident and comfortable – whether he’s goofing around with the little ones or surrounded by a group of suits. But that wasn’t always the case. Back in middle school, Malcolm had difficulty opening up with adults and was afraid to try lifting weights. He worried about his appearance and what other kids thought of him.
    Meet Malcolm Hamlett

  • 1
  • 2
  • previous