2005 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This project is associated with project 6435-51000-001-00D, Dietary, Biological, Behavioral, and Environmental Predictors of Weight Gain in a Healthy, Young, Ethnically Mixed Population. The LA Health study will test the efficacy of two prevention programs, in isolation and combined, that are designed to prevent weight gain in children initially enrolled in grades 3 to 6, over a three-year period. The research approach will include modifying the school environment, and employing classroom instruction combined with an interactive website. In FY 2005, the study was statistically designed. Teacher-training materials were developed, and schools in the LA Gear-Up program were recruited for participation in the study. The study will be initiated in the participating schools this fall.