The Impact of Healthy Harlem on the Body Mass Index and Weight Status of Adolescents after Two and Three Years

For overweight and obese middle and high school students enrolled in Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) after-school programs, participation in Healthy Harlem led to sustained positive impacts on body mass index (BMI) and weight status, according to interim findings from Mathematica. To assess Healthy Harlem’s effectiveness, researchers monitored students during an initial baseline year and then measured program impacts after two and three years of participation. As described in this issue brief, the findings reveal that participation in Healthy Harlem’s Get Fit and Prevention components resulted in lower BMI z-scores and a reduction in the percentage of students who were overweight or obese.