Obesity is on the rise among young children and so far there is no diet pill or South Beach-style book available to help them live a healthier lifestyle.

Help may be on the way. President Clinton announced yesterday at a Harlem school that his organization, the William J. Clinton Foundation, and the American Heart Association have received an $8 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a four-year effort to combat childhood obesity.

“This is a national emergency,” Mr. Clinton said. “We are looking to halt the growth of childhood obesity by 2010.”

The John B. Russwurm Elementary School was chosen as one of the sites for the pilot phase of the Healthy Schools Program.

It is estimated that the obesity rate in children has tripled in the past three decades among children age 6 to 11. Many are clinically overweight, leading to a host of health concerns including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

“Many children could have a shorter life expectancy than their parents,” Mr. Clinton said. “With this program, we are helping schools to create healthy learning environments. We will implement curricula for a healthy lifestyle. We are in negotiations with sports companies to get exercise equipment for schools. We are in negotiations with snack and beverage vendors to improve the choices of vending options. We want to change the economics of kids getting healthier items.”

A total of 285 schools in 13 states were chosen to participate in the first phase of the pilot program.

Schools were selected based on ethnic and geographic distribution and whether the school currently participates in one of the American Heart Association’s programs.

The socioeconomic status of the population served by the schools also was considered. It was based on the percentage of students in the schools that participate in free or reduced lunch programs compared to the state’s average for each school.

“This is one of those moments when we can make history with this program in helping young kids make healthier choices,” the president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, said.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropic organization devoted to improving the health and health care of all Americans. The foundation is also a partner with the alliance.

“We are working to put the best minds to work with the policies and schools to get the best information,” Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey said. “School is where our children spend their days and where they learn habits that stay with them for life. This program has the potential to help millions of kids eat well and be more active during the school day,” she said.

The American Heart Association joined with the William J. Clinton Foundation in May 2005 to form the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The alliance addresses issues that contribute to childhood obesity and help Americans to develop lifelong healthy habits.

“We plan to stand side by side with schools to help meet their needs and priorities,” the president of the American Heart Association, Dr. Robert Eckel, said. “We will work with schools to provide strategies on reducing obesity. We will set up telephone centers, Web sites, and we will provide nutritional support as well as monitor schools on their progress,” he said.

Dr. Eckel also said the AMA plans to establish wellness centers in schools that currently do not have one.

“We have to set a good examples that allow kids to make good choices on their own,” he said. “We have found that healthier kids perform better on tests and have healthier behaviors.”

The administrators at John B. Wusswurm Elementary School have been engaging their students in better eating choices and health awareness for the past few years. They held a health fair last summer and created the Better Health and Nutrition in the Community Committee to increase awareness.

“I will make sure that we have a wellness center,” a parent coordinator, Rolinda Hill, told The New York Sun. “Children need organized activities that incorporate at least 25 to 30 minutes of exercise. “

Schools that were not selected for the pilot phase program may apply for the 2006-07 school year when applications are made available on July 1.