Newark
March 21, 2014
Originally published in the Star Ledger on nj.com by Dr. Nwando Anyaoku Progress in public health is often surprising and sometimes mysterious. A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the first substantial evidence that obesity rates have fallen over the past decade in children 2 to 5 years old. While the report sliced through some of the pessimism on childhood obesity, it failed to explain why the picture has improved. Some commentators credited first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, which was front and center at last week’s Partnership for a Healthier America summit. The conference united public health advocates and food companies in an effort to devise better strategies to fight childhood obesity. It was an important summit because many of America’s inner cities, which shoulder the burden of obesity, have been stymied in crafting an action plan. With the best intentions, they pour […]
READ MORE
October 31, 2013
With NJPHK-Newark acting as convener, the Newark Public Schools and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are forging a partnership to transform Newark’s schools into healthier places. The first teacher’s workshop on October 15 was an opportunity for representatives from three pilot schools to hear about the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program and discuss how it can help create a healthier school environment. The Alliance provides tools and resources to aid schools in four areas: create a wellness council, initiate wellness programs for school staff, offer healthier foods, and increase opportunities for physical activity. The Alliance will work with the school representatives, comprising school nurses, physical education teachers and other school staff, to identify the areas of school health in need of improvement and formulate and implement a plan for action. The seven content areas that address school health improvement are policy and systems, school meals, competitive food and beverages, health […]
READ MORE
September 3, 2013
As director of general pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, Dr. Nwando Anyaoku treats children with a wide range of illnesses and conditions, but her specialty is childhood obesity. Her interest is both clinical and personal. “Growing up in Nigeria, I had asthma as a child,” she explains, “and it was not well controlled. I loved track and hurdles, but as I grew older, I became less and less active because of my asthma.” Years later, as a practicing pediatrician in Newark, she found herself treating an ever-increasing number of overweight children. “I wondered if they were asthmatic and confronting the same challenges I did as a child. So I actually started out looking at asthma.” The more information she sought, it quickly became clear that childhood obesity was a nationwide epidemic. Asthma was often see alongside obesity. “I also realized that the sooner we get our hands around […]
READ MORE
May 7, 2013
Published in Rutgers Business School News Courtney Price, NJPHK-Newark project manager, participated in a Rutgers Business School (RBS)-hosted event on May 7, to discuss the recently published book, “Advances in Communication Research to Reduce Childhood Obesity.” She also discussed some of the implications of the obesity issue and highlighted the efforts currently underway in Newark to help children eat better and be more active. SHARE:
READ MORE
February 20, 2013
NJPHK-Newark is supporting Newark health care providers as they introduce “Let’s Move! in the Clinic,” a healthy lifestyle toolkit designed to help health care providers talk with patients and families about setting small, achievable nutrition and physical activity goals. Five health care providers have signed on to introduce the toolkit. On February 20, 13 participants attended the Let’s Move! in the Clinic training, which was sponsored by the New Jersey Pediatric Council on Research and Education (NJPCORE) through the American Academy of Pediatrics,. The training session was lead by Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, NKPHK-Newark co-director and director of General Pediatrics at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. The peer-to-peer training provided a discussion forum for physicians and medical staff to learn and share ideas. Participants discussed the importance of education to invoke behavior change, the link between breastfeeding and obesity prevention, and how well visits become opportunities to discuss body mass index […]
READ MORE
October 2, 2012
Originally published in NewarkPatch Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey in Newark, knows of a patient who weighs 425 pounds and suffers from a litany of obesity-related problems: she’s had hip and knee replacements, is diabetic, has high blood pressure. She’s also just 13 years old. While an extreme case, Anyaoku notes that this young girl is hardly alone amongst her peers: an estimated 45 percent of the city’s youth are overweight or obese. She’s become accustomed to treating children for what in decades past were usually afflictions of the middle-aged or older, like hypertension. Anyaoku was at Nat Turner Park last week for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the “Born Learning Trail,” a slice of the park dedicated to combatting this worrisome trend by getting kids into the exercise habit early. Read full story… SHARE:
READ MORE
October 2, 2012
Originally published in Newark Pulse On Friday, September 28th, a new Learning Trail was opened at Nat Turner Park. The Trail the first one in Newark, was built by the combined effort of United Way Essex and West Hudson, NJ Partnership of Healthy Kids, YMWCA of Newark and Vicinity, Newark Youth Build and Newark Leadership Academy. The Born Learning Trail provides 10 self-guiding and engaging, interactive activities that adults can use to create early learning opportunities for children. By following a series of colorful shapes, signs and hopscotch squares, children can learn their numbers and letters through active play. The Trail is a great way for a community to use outdoor space to promote literacy, social development and physical activity. To learn more about the trail visit www.unitedwayessex.org or www.newarkymca.org/NJPartnership. SHARE:
READ MORE
September 29, 2012
In the end, even the weather cooperated. Courtney Price, NJPHK-Newark project manager, had been watching the skies and praying for the rain to stop. The build day for the Born Learning Trail in Nat Turner Park was just two days away…and no rain date had been set. “I kept praying for good weather,” said Price. “We had scheduled the build for Wednesday and Thursday followed by the ribbon cutting on Friday. We had our resources and volunteers lined up. Everything was going for us, except the weather forecast.” Her prayers were answered. The two build days came off like clockwork and the rain held off until after the ribbon cutting on Friday. With NJPHK-Newark as the catalyst, the build days brought together community groups to erect, paint and stencil 10 engaging, interactive activities on the playground in Nat Turner Park. Once completed, the Born Learning Trail of colorful shapes, signs […]
READ MORE
July 20, 2012
Five Newark health care providers are ready to introduce Let’s Move! in the Clinic, an important milestone in NJPHK-Newark’s work with the healthcare sector. The Let’s Move! healthy lifestyle toolkit is designed to help health care providers talk with patients, parents, guardians and other care givers about the nutritional and physical activity needs of children. SHARE:
READ MORE
July 20, 2012
Nat Turner Park in Newark, NJ will be the new home for the construction of the Born Learning Trail. Nat Turner Park, the largest city-owned park in Newark, NJ sits on nine-acres across from Central High School and is named after the American slave who led revolt in 1831 in Virginia. The Born Learning Trail will provide 10 engaging, interactive activities that adults can use to create early learning opportunities for children. By following a series of colorful shapes, signs and hopscotch squares, children can learn their numbers and letters through active play. The Trail is a great way for a community to use outdoor space to promote literacy and social development. SHARE:
READ MORE
Contact Us: 609-278-9622
Follow Us On: