Recent Stories
April 12, 2018
Healthy U combats childhood obesity through nutrition education, physical education and family involvement. The program partners the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey with the NJ YMCA State Alliance and its 37-member associations. Together, the grant funds three programs: The Healthy U YMCA Afterschool program, The Healthy U YMCA Early Childhood Education Program, and the Healthy U School-based Program. Healthy U uses the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum to educate and support environments for healthy eating and increased physical activity. Although Healthy U is a program to help prevent obesity, it also leads to improved academic performance and reduced illness and behavior issues. Healthy U ensures that children and families are provided with environments that encourage positive behavior toward physical activity and healthy eating. Sue Cornell, Healthy U Director for the NJYMCA State Alliance, oversees the statewide program. “What’s different about Healthy U is the focus on changing behavior […]
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April 12, 2018
Despite raising the smoking age to 21 and banning tobacco purchases to those younger than 21, New Jersey still faces a predicament when it comes to tobacco use among children and teens. Tobacco companies are doing all they can to put tobacco into the mouths of kids. They now offer mini-cigars and cigarillos at lower prices—3 for $1.00—and flavored tobacco that especially appeals to younger taste buds. Compounding the problem, retailers promote tobacco with oversized and often flashy advertising. Too often, the stores and their ads are within walking distance of schools, enticing youths to try some gummy bear, cotton candy or chocolate tobacco products. “Research shows that advertising and promotion at the point of sale increase youth and adult tobacco use, normalize and exaggerate the popularity of tobacco use, trigger impulse purchases and discourage cessation attempts,” said Kim Burns, Southern Regional Coordinator for Tobacco Free for a […]
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April 12, 2018
This year marks the fifth anniversary of New Brunswick’s Ciclovia—an Open Streets initiative that closes the streets to cars and opens them to people, promoting healthy active living by experiencing New Brunswick’s vitality, livability and diversity in a safe place for people to exercise and play. The New Brunswick Ciclovia is known as a model Open Streets program in New Jersey. Ciclovia has grown each year adding participants, activities, vendors and entertainment, while also expanding the route and nearly quadrupling the number of annual Ciclovia events. This success has garnered curiosity and inquiries from organizations and municipalities across the state asking what it would take to bring Ciclovia to their respective cities and towns. As a result, New Brunswick is hosting a two-day Study Tour on April 21 and April 22. The Study Tour will answer those questions by providing an in-depth look through first-hand experiences for developing an Open […]
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April 12, 2018
In a number of communities across the state of New Jersey, residents are improving their health – right in their corner store. One example is Edward Logan Jr., a Camden resident who began participating in The Food Trust’s Heart Smarts program at his neighborhood store, Ferry Avenue Market. After attending eight monthly lessons and continuing to make healthy choices once the lesson series had ended, Edward – who had uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes –began taking control of his health. Since 2014, he’s lost 40 pounds, and his A1C levels (measurement of how much sure is attached to the blood’s hemoglobin protein) have decreased from 12.7% (significantly higher than normal levels of 5.7% or below) to 5.2%. The Heart Smarts program is part of the New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative and brings free nutrition lessons and free health screenings (blood pressure, BMI, stroke and heart disease assessments) right […]
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April 12, 2018
Individuals ranging from farmers to state officials came together during two Farmers Markets Conferences on Monday, March 26 in West Windsor and Wednesday, April 4 at the Ironbound Early Learning Center in Newark. The goal was to provide information about the benefits and opportunities available for Jersey Farmers’ Markets. More than 50 representatives from farmers markets, as well as local farms and vendors, attended the West Windsor Conference. And, another 100-people attended Newark’s Urban Farmer’s Market Conference held at Ironbound Community Corporation. Ironbound Community Corporation Executive Director Joe Della Fave opened the conference stating, “We need more uplifting and less uprooting of people in our urban centers.” The Conferences were designed to advance the opportunities and address the barriers involved in cultivating a thriving farmers market. Conference segments included: a panel of local farmers, as well as discussion topics related to USDA/NJ SNAP/WIC eligibility, and tips and strategies to help […]
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April 12, 2018
“Partnering for Health Equity” is this year’s national theme for the National Minority and Multicultural Health (OMMH) Month. National Minority Health Month is observed every year in April to highlight the health disparities that persist among racial and ethnic minority populations and the ways in which legislation, policies and programs can help advance health equity. The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health is encouraging “partnerships at the national, state, tribal and local levels to continue the work of reducing health disparities and advancing health equity. NJPHK’s Darrin Anderson recently partnered with NJ Department of Health and participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Healthy Communities Begin with Health Equity.” The event was held on Friday, April 6 at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ. Panel participants also included Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Marco Navarro and NJ Health Initiative’s Diane Hagerman. Anderson provided examples of […]
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