Population Health Issues in New Jersey
Besides heart disease and cancer, another severe population health issue that has been identified as a problem for residents of New Jersey is obesity. This public health issue was selected because obesity has assumed epidemic levels in this state and across the country in recent years, resulting in a wide array of largely preventable medical issues. Although all age groups and ethnicities are involved, certain demographic segments of the New Jersey population suffer from inordinately higher rates of obesity. For instance, according to the 2018 New Jersey State Health Assessment, obesity rates are persistently high across the state, but New Jersey youths and lower income residents have the highest prevalence rates of obesity in the state at present (New Jersey State Health Assessment, 2018).
Likewise, residents of some parts of South Jersey also have higher obesity prevalence rates, as well as all African American adults living in New Jersey where their prevalence rate for obesity is fully 150% of that for white residents and 300% for Asian-American adults (New Jersey State Health Assessment, 2018). In addition, young Hispanics have nearly double the prevalence rate for obesity compared to their white counterparts, and all minority young people in New Jersey are less likely to satisfy minimal physical activity recommendations compared to whites (New Jersey State Health Assessment, 2018). In addition, black and Hispanic youths in New Jersey are also more likely to engage in sedentary activities such as using personal computers, playing video games or watching television compared to whites, and are twice as likely to drink more soft drinks compared to white youths (New Jersey State Health Assessment, 2018).
These disturbing trends represent a significant public health problem for New Jersey for a number of reasons, including...
For instance, according to Emmett and Chandra (2015), Obesity among
children is a matter of matter of major concern because in all likelihood, a large number of currently obsess
youth will end up becoming an obese adult, which will trigger greater health risks for these individuals (p. 93). This...
…pepperoni pizza may just seem like a good idea and current and future obesity be damned. In sum, combating obesity among New Jersey youths in general and black and Hispanic young people in particular represents an important public health goal today.
References
Chriqui, J. F., Lin, W., Leider, J., Shang, C., & Perna, F. M. (2020). The harmonizing effect of Smart Snacks on the association between state snack laws and high school students fruit and vegetable consumption, United States-2005-2017. Preventive Medicine, 139, 106-123.
Eisenberg, M. H., Street, R. L., & Persky, S. (2017). It runs in my family : The association of perceived family history with body dissatisfaction and weight bias internalization among overweight women.Women & Health,57(4), 478493.
Emmett, D., & Chandra, A. (2015). Understanding Obesity Perceptions in America: An Exploratory Study of Public Perceptions of the Problem and Possible Actions for Health Product Marketers. Hospital Topics, 93(4), 9298.
Leahy, D., & Wright, J. (2016). Governing Food Choices: A Critical Analysis of School Food Pedagogies and Young Peoples Responses in Contemporary Times. Cambridge Journal of Education, 46(2), 233246.
New Jersey Department of Health. (2018, August). New…
