The study was conducted in Broome County, New York on 6th grade children in three middle schools. The first phase involved a survey of overweight and obesity derived from anthropometric measurements including height and weight (to calculate Body Mass Index), body fat percentage, tricep skinfold thickness, middle upper arm circumference, and waist and hip circumferences (to calculate waist-to-hip ratio). The results of the study showed that 45.7% of all children were overweight or obese. There was no difference between percentages of overweight or obesity between boys and girls. Immigration status did not affect health status in this population. Students from all three immigration statuses were proportionally equally unhealthy. The children from this semi-urban city had overweight/obesity levels that were similar to those found in New York City. This result was unexpected as overweight and obesity levels were hypothesized to be intermediary between cities like New York City and rural areas.

The second phase involved a survey questionnaire that addressed diet, physical activity and inactivity patterns. The third phase involved observations of mid-day meal behaviors at each school focusing on consumption, exchange and discarding of food. Through these two phases it was determined that the consumption of bad foods (soda, store bought snacks, takeout, fast food, and pizza) was one of the most important contributing factors to the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this population. Some of these items were served in schools (pizzas, French fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets), some were brought to school from home (soda, chips, candy, candy bars), were eaten at home (fast food, soda, store bought snacks, etc.) or were otherwise available in the community. Immigration status did not affect diet, physical activity and physical inactivity patterns. This suggests that first generation migrant children and second generation children of immigrants have been acculturating to the US diet and US physical activity and inactivity patterns at an alarming rate.

Finally, an intervention and prevention program was developed with components that can be implemented in school-, home- and community-based settings to specifically address nutrition and calorie consumption as well as increasing physical activity and decreasing physical inactivity.