According to a 2004 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Jersey has the highest percentage of overweight and obese children under age 5, at 17.7 percent. Additionally, the state also has many black and Latino youth, who are more likely to be overweight than white kids.
The new agency will focus especially on young people because it believes that it is far easier to instill good diet and exercise habits to prevent obesity in young people than it is to reduce weight in adults as many of them almost always gain back any weight they lose.
The officials plan to tackle the obesity problem through education, support groups and encouraging physical activity, rather than by banning particular foods.
Regarding his new plan to "de-normalize" the massive portions served in restaurants, Dr. Fred M. Jacobs, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Senior Services told AP, "I want to do that without creating a further stigma on individual people. It's bad enough when you're fat that people think less of you. I don't want the government piling on."
The new plans also include sending notification to the parents of obese school children via report cards to inform them about children with weight problems.
Obesity brings with itself hoards of problems including risk of heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, depression, arthritis and several types of cancer. CDC reports that almost 23 percent of residents are considered obese and another 37 percent are overweight in New Jersey.
The new agency is expected to start functioning within weeks in hopes of winning more federal and private grant money. More than $2 million have been earmarked in nutrition and fitness programs.
The programs include promoting physical activity at all ages, providing fresh fruit and vegetables to eligible women, children and senior citizens, and encouraging breast-feeding, which can reduce the baby's chances of a weight problem later.
