'Mayors Wellness Campaign' pushes healthier N.J. lifestyles

The big fat facts are that 55 percent of New Jerseyans are obese or overweight. And New Jersey has the nation's highest incidence of obesity among low-income children 2 to 5 years old. In 2003, medical expenses for treating obesity-related health problems cost New Jersey health care providers, residents and government $2.3 billion.

The figures were highlighted yesterday in Trenton as a private-public partnership of health care advocates, municipal and state government and academics announced the kickoff of a campaign to help New Jerseyans improve their health while reducing health costs related to obesity.

The effort, billed as the "Mayors Wellness Campaign," is designed to support mayors in encouraging seniors, children and workers to participate in daily physical activity. The program is funded through a $200,000 grant from Aetna Inc., which is prepared to provide another $100,000 next year. The money will go to providing local governments guidance on creating exercise programs or walking- or bicycling-friendly areas.

The wellness campaign is an initiative of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. Additional support is being provided by the state Department of Transportation, the Regional Plan Association, the state League of Municipalities and the Ramapo College of Nursing.

David Knowlton, president of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and a former state assistant health commissioner, said some towns already encourage efforts like those the campaign is promoting: New Brunswick and Maplewood sponsor walk-to-school days, Garfield sponsors a walk-to-work campaign and Maplewood encourages bicycling.

"It was alarming to me, when I heard that the Centers for Disease Control recently concluded that the next generation of Americans may very well be the first in our lifetime to be less healthy than the generation which preceded it," Knowlton said. "We worked for many months to put together the kind of coalition that just might have an impact here in New Jersey."

The effort has the support of state Health and Senior Services Commissioner Fred Jacobs. "Obesity rates and the resulting incidences of diabetes, heart disease and hypertension are rising at alarming rates for New Jerseyans, but this trend could be reversed with changes in diet and exercise regimens," he said.

It also has the backing of the League of Municipalities, the lobbying arm of the state's 566 cities and towns. "Mayors working together with their local health officers, with their local school boards, with community providers, with local religious and business leaders ... can make a huge difference in promoting active living and healthier lifestyles," said William G. Dressel, league director.

More information on the campaign may be obtained at www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org.