Heart health, diet, exercise and sleep will be targeted as part of a multi-pronged strategy by child health experts to tackle Australia’s obesity crisis.
Genheart, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), is a coordinated plan over 10 years to improve long-term well-being and reverse worrying obesity trends among children and their parents.
Health experts from cardiometabolic health, sleep, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, behavioral science and health economics from Victoria, Western Australia, NSW and Tasmania come together under a bold approach.
With the funding, the multifaceted intervention, which will initially include four trials, will begin in 2027. The trials will draw on data and participants from Generation Australia, which brings together the two largest, most detailed projects of their kind – Generation Victoria (GenV), which involves 50,000 children, and Origins, which follows 10,000 children and their families in Western Australia.
MCRI Professor Melissa Wake, who will help oversee Generation Australia, said GenHeart is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get a handle on rising obesity rates.
In Australia, cardiovascular disease affects one in 15 people. Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease account for more than $23 billion in health care costs each year.
Good heart health in childhood is important for reducing the risk of chronic disease throughout a person’s lifetime.
We know that the underlying risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases such as unhealthy weight gain, high blood pressure, low physical activity and poor sleep often begin in the elementary school years.
These early warning signs predict the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease in adulthood and are also major drivers of dementia, cancer and poor mental health.
Sadly, these patterns are difficult to reverse once established. Prevention programs have failed to make a large-scale difference because they were either too small, short-term or narrowly focused. But GenHeart is designed to address all of these issues together, through a suite of coordinated prevention trials at whole population scale, using Generation Australia’s reach and infrastructure.
Professor Melissa Wake, MCRI
Four tests, each answering a key prevention question, include:
GenSleep. Could moving a child’s bedtime by 30 minutes reduce unhealthy weight gain and improve mental health?
Janevette. Could weight-loss medications for obese parents reshape home eating habits, helping break the intergenerational cycle of obesity?
GenPressure. Could checking blood pressure in primary school reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease?
Genmove. Could changing school physical activities to focus on strength and lean mass development improve heart health?
Research led by MCRI in 2025 found that half of children and adolescents in Australia are projected to be overweight or obese by 2050. But it noted that with significant increases predicted within the next five years, urgent action now could reverse the public health crisis.
Mother-of-three Megan’s youngest son, 2-year-old Teddy, is enrolled in GenV. She said that as a nurse she understands the importance of comprehensive and interconnected data to help researchers find best clinical practices.
“With two of my three children suffering from food allergies, I know how important research is to making a change and improving treatments,” she said. “If we can instill healthy habits in our children early, they will benefit throughout their lives.”
The Generation Australia cohort will be gradually invited to participate in GenHeart as their child enters primary school.
“The four tests will be carefully sequenced throughout childhood,” Professor Wake said. “This approach allows interventions to begin at developmentally appropriate stages, while insights from earlier trials inform those that come later.
“Children and families can be assigned to receive one or more interventions or continue with general health advice. This will help researchers determine which approaches are most effective and at what stage of development.
“While all interventions are designed to be scalable and feasible at the population level, they move beyond child-focused programs. Some target parents, others focus on family routines and environments, and some involve screening and broader health system responses. This approach reflects the multiple factors that shape lifelong cardiovascular health.”
GenHeart research partners include Kids Research Institute Australia in Perth, UNSW Sydney, the University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University in Perth, Deakin University, the University of Tasmania, Monash University and the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney.
