Why MATCH Works

MATCH addresses EVERY element identified from effective Randomized Control Trials of children’s weight management programs by the United States Preventative Task Force (USPSTF).

MATCH Meets Clinical Standards

Meets Clinical Standards

Despite authorities agreeing that schools are the logical place for childhood obesity intervention, few, if any programs have been able to claim success. MATCH was designed to provide a Stage One1 intervention in schools (see Table 1) to all seventh grade students, promoting healthy behaviors to all students, so that overweight and obese students are not singled out from their healthy weight peers.

Overcomes Barriers

MATCH overcomes barriers of access, transportation, and time to visit physicians or health professionals in costly one-on-one sessions by delivering quality, theory- and evidence-based wellness education to seventh grade students in schools. MATCH was designed by teachers and health professionals to scale.



Uses Elements of Effective Interventions

MATCH addresses every element that is recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) identified from effective interventions, from healthy eating and reading labels to goal setting and problem solving2. Additionally, MATCH exceeds the recommended 26 plus hours of intensive behavior modification required to produce significant weight loss.



Achieves Categorical Weight Change

Between 2012 and 2017, 900 of 5,000 seventh grade MATCH students that began the program as overweight or obese (18%) decreased their BMI z-score by .25, the clinical threshold to significantly reduce risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Type II Diabetes2 (see Figure 1).



Table 1

American Medical Association Recommends
a Staged Approach for Prevention, Treatment and
Rehabilitation of Overweight and Obesity in Children1

Stage Description
4. Tertiary Care Intervention Stage 3 plus medications, weight control surgery
3. Comprehensive
Multidisciplinary Intervention		 Multidisciplinary team with experience in childhood obesity, meets weekly for 8-12 weeks with follow up
2. Structured
Weight-Management		 Family visits with physician or health professional specifically trained in weight management
1. Prevention-Plus

  		Delivered by physician or health professional, focus on health behaviors (i.e. decrease in screen time, eliminate sugary beverages, increase physical activity, increase fruits and veggies)

1. Barlow et al., 2007. Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and
Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity: Summary Report. Pediatrics 12(suppl): S164-S192

2. US Preventive Services Task Force, 2017.
Recommendation for Childhood Obesity Screening in Context. JAMA 317(23): 2417-2426

"The Trust has made investment in MATCH for one key reason: it works.
Few programs have demonstrated this level of results for the investment."

- Jehan Benton-Clark - Former Senior Program Officer Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust