Cape May County Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) has a Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Program, which focuses on the goal of preventing and controlling obesity and other chronic diseases through promoting healthy eating and physical activity. This goal will be achieved through strategic public health efforts aimed at:

• Increasing access to and use of environments to support healthy eating and physical activity
• Increasing the number of policies and standards in place to support physical activity and healthy eating
• Increasing the number of social and behavioral approaches that complement policy and environmental strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity

The program also emphasizes reducing health disparities related to:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Geography
• Other factors
• Race/ethnicity
• Socioeconomic status

5 Target Areas

There are many partners in Cape May County who are working together to address 5 principle target areas through evidence-based programs. The five target areas and lead programs are:

• Decrease television viewing.
  • Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4H Programs
• Decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
  • Cape May County Department of Health’s health education and community outreach program
  • Rutgers Cooperative Extension – classes and outreach
• Increase breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity.
  • Cape May County Department of Health’s Child Health Services
  • Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition
  • WIC
• Increase physical activity.
  • Cape May County Department of Health’s health education and community outreach program
  • Rutgers Cooperative Extension Get Moving, Get Healthy Program
• Increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and decrease the consumption of empty calories.
  • Cape May County Department of Health’s health education and community outreach program
    • Ever Taste a Rainbow? - This is a fun, interactive program for pre-school children about fruits and vegetables. The lesson introduces pre-school age children to the importance of eating a "rainbow" of colors of fruits and vegetables. Download a lesson plan (PDF).
  • Rutgers Cooperative Extension Building Healthy Families Coalition and 4H.