MAYOR’S MESSAGE – PiscatawayNJ.org
Seemingly within a blink of an eye a New Year has begun…
On behalf of the Township Council and myself I wish you and your families a most happy and healthy 2010! With each New Year comes the hope and promise of new beginnings and as we wish each other the traditional Happy New Year greeting we want this New Year, more than most, to bring positive changes not only for our families and friends but also for our state and our country.
It is a paradox that in the Unites States, according to the Department of Agriculture, we have a record number of households who were unable to get sufficient food at one time or another last year, and on the other hand, obesity, particularly in children, is a major health concern. It has also been reported that more than two-thirds of families with children who were defined as “food insecure” contained one or more full-time worker. This suggests that low-wage earners have found it more difficult during these challenging economic times to provide their children with adequate nutrition. The Community Food Bank of New Jersey’s CEO, Kathleen DiChara said, “In 30 years of doing this, I’ve never seen a time like this. The demand for food (in New Jersey) has increased 67%.” Something is very wrong with this picture in a country as blessed as we have been.
In our own community, during the Thanksgiving season, our municipal employees, as well as several corporations and residents contributed to food baskets that were distributed to local families in Piscataway. We are very grateful for their generosity. I am also certain that our local churches were called upon to do the very same thing. And while people tend to be generous at holiday times, please know that Piscataway receives requests throughout the year from local families in need of food. Our community is hardly immune from families in distress and children going to bed hungry. If during the year you are asked to help, please be as generous as you can. Hunger has no season.
I have recently signed on to The Mayors Wellness Campaign, an initiative of the N.J. Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the N.J. State League of Municipalities. The ultimate goal is to increase opportunities for our residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of improving health and reducing the skyrocketing health-care costs that come with the obesity problem in New Jersey. Obesity has become epidemic in American and in New Jersey and the consequences are startling! The obesity rate has doubled since the late 1970s and approximately 62% of U.S. adults and 34% of U.S. children are overweight or obese. Many scientists say that obesity, particularly among children, unless corrected, bodes poorly for the country’s future. One in three U.S. teens is physically unfit. Studies show that eight out of ten adults are likely to become overweight or obese as they age, putting them at a higher risk for hospitalization, diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Obese employees cost $460 to $2500 annually in medical expenditures and work absences and obesity adds $93 billion to then nation’s yearly medical care bill. Working with Councilwoman Michele Lombardi and others we plan to promote active living and healthy lifestyles through a variety of methods in the upcoming year within our community. Watch for more information.
I remind you that if you have questions or you need information, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 732-562-2301.
Leave a Reply
