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December 13, 2014
Originally published in NJ Spotlight Experts at conference in Edison note importance of tailoring efforts to target different social groups, coordinating public-health efforts While there are signs that the decades-long rise in childhood obesity is turning a corner, a national obesity expert said community-based public-health efforts in New Jersey and other states could be key to continuing to decrease obesity among both children and adults. It will take a sustained effort with a consistent message, as well as outreach tailored to target different social groups, according to Dr. William H. Dietz, the former nutrition, physical activity and obesity director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dietz noted that national surveys are beginning to show declines in obesity in young children, with one study showing a drop in the percentage of obese 2- to 5-year-olds from 12.4 percent in 2005-2006 to 8.4 percent in 2011-2012. “I think we may […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published in The Philadelphia Tribune More than 300 attendees turned out for a conference focused on building healthier communities in New Jersey. The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) hosted the Building Healthy, Equitable Communities Conference on Dec. 3 at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. The conference focused on providing participants with tools and best practices to build healthier communities by helping to incorporate health equity into current policies and practices, thereby helping to lessen chronic diseases such as obesity and address environmental factors contributing to health disparities. “Nearly one-third of children in this country are overweight or obese, leading to a plethora of health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol — issues that have been generally associated with adults in the past,” Dr. Darrin Anderson, deputy director of NJPHK, said in a statement. “By bringing together experts and community advocates to share […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com Barbara George Johnson, executive director of The John S. Watson Institute of Public Policy at Thomas Edison State College, is the recipient of the Healthy Kids Champion award presented by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK). NJPHK is a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with technical assistance and direction provided by the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance. The goal of the program is to convene, connect and empower community partnerships across the state in order to design and implement childhood obesity prevention strategies that support access to affordable healthy foods and increase opportunities for safe physical activity in the cities of Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton and Vineland. “It is an honor to have been selected for this award,” said George Johnson. “New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids and its community partners have made great strides in implementing policy and environment changes […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids presented a “Healthy Kids Champion” awards Wednesday to several community leaders from around the state including Francis Blanco, who works as chief of staff for Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson. Blanco was among six individuals to receive the award which honors contributions individuals have made to the New Jersey Partnerships for Healthy Kids (NJPHK). Blanco is chairwoman for the Trenton Healthy Food Network, which promotes the availability of healthy food in local stores and bodegas in urban communities. “My passion for improving Trenton and the conditions of people’s lives is very important to me,” Blanco said. “I am honored to receive this award, but I also feel privileged to be able to work to make a difference in a city whose people I want to see healthy and vibrant,” said Ms. Blanco. “It’s an honor to present the Healthy Kids […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com To find a solution to the nation’s ongoing obesity crisis, people first need to change the way they talk about it, one of the nation’s leading experts on obesity told a statewide audience of health and nutrition experts Wednesday in Edison. Dr. William H. Dietz, director of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at George Washington University, told the crowd of about 300 that obesity is “the most stigmatized condition in our society. “We can’t continue to confuse the identity with the disease,” Dietz said at the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids’ conference on Building Healthy, Equitable Communities. “We should be talking about people with obesity in the same way we talk about people with diabetes,” he said. “We don’t talk about ‘cancer people.’ We don’t talk about ‘diabetes people’.” Obesity, Dietz said, is not a choice, but a development caused […]
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December 13, 2014
During the conference, six interactive workshops presented progress on policy and environmental change strategies that can increase opportunities for healthy eating, wellness and physical activity. Each moderated session featured discussion among experts in the field and enabled the audience to interact through questions, feedback and comments. Topics, moderators and panel members were as follows: Workshop A: A Fresh Perspective: The NJ Healthy Corner Stores Initiative overviewed the NJ Healthy Corner Stores Initiative which works with store owners and others in the community to increase access to healthy foods in underserved areas by making those foods available at corner stores. Successes, impacts on the communities throughout NJ and implementation strategies were shared. Moderator: Corinne Orlando, director of Government Relations for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in New Jersey Speakers: Marissa Davis, project manager for NJPHK-Trenton; Maria Hollander, M.P.H., manager of National Partnerships, American Heart Association; Miriam Manon senior associate for […]
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December 13, 2014
“Obesity is the most stigmatized condition in our society,” said Dr. William H. Dietz, director of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at George Washington University. Obesity is not a choice but a development caused by any number of personal and external factors. Once awareness is increased, health officials can marshal effort to change public opinion against obesity very much like in the campaign against smoking. “The best investments we can make, said Dr. Dietz, are people-based.” Use people first language and start to move from what to how. Use authority to set standards for ECE and as health professionals, agree on consistent messages and strategies. Collaboration is key so align with other efforts: Let’s Move, YMCA, United Way, hospitals, community-based organizations. Always institute measures that capture progress and benefits. SHARE:
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December 13, 2014
There was much to celebrate and acknowledge at the NJPHK Building Healthy, Equitable Communities Conference with the presentation of Healthy Kids Champion awards to six community leaders for their commitment and contributions in the NJPHK-targeted communities of Camden, New Brunswick, Trenton, Newark and Vineland and in the State Program Office. This year’s winners are as follows: Meishka Mitchell, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership (CFP) Vice President of Neighborhood Initiatives, was acknowledged for being an established community leader in Camden, respected by government officials, community partners, city residents, and peers. She brings a keen, unique perspective and expertise in community planning and neighborhood revitalization to CFP based on her education, experience and as a Camden native, brings a deep knowledge of this community to her leadership. Michael G. Blackwell, Superintendent of Recreation in New Brunswick and Executive Director of “The First Tee of Raritan Valley” was acknowledged for his work in New Brunswick […]
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December 13, 2014
NJTV News program Anchor and Managing Editor, Mike Schneider moderated a panel of experts that included: Diana MTK Autin, executive co-director, Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) Robert C. Like, MD, MS, professor and director, Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity, Family Medicine and Community Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Mariam Merced, MA, director, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Community Health Promotion Program Daniel F. Oscar, president and chief executive office, Center for Supportive Schools Laurie Shanderson, PhD, MPA, assistant dean in the School of Health Sciences at the Richard Stockton College. Read more The panel discussed examples of health equity changes that have been incorporated into policies and practices to build healthier communities. The role that community partnerships and collaboration played in building healthy and equitable communities was explored and was a topic about which the audience asked questions and offered comments during the town hall portion of this […]
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December 13, 2014
“We, as a nation, will strive together to build a Culture of Health enabling all in our diverse society to lead healthier lives now and for generations to come,” said Dwayne C. Proctor, PhD, MS, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Eliminating Health Disparities Portfolio. What is a Culture of Health? Proctor stated that in order to ensure a healthy future in our communities, we need to spread and share the vision and its possibilities. This means looking across our community and identifying and elevating those places that need extra attention. It means not being silent, but building demand for healthy places and practices. Most importantly, we need to give all kids a healthy start and truly address the roots of violence where they exist. This is how we can improve health equity now and for the future. SHARE:
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