Notes

*This is a Healthy New Jersey 2010 (HNJ2010) objective.*

Data Source

New Jersey Data: New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

Data Interpretation Issues

Respondents tend to overestimate their height and underestimate their weight leading to underestimation of BMI and the prevalence of overweight.

Definition

The proportion of persons aged 18 years and older who have a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2 calculated from self-reported weight and height. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters.

Numerator

Number of respondents aged 18 years and older who have a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2 calculated from self-reported weight and height.

Denominator

Number of respondents aged 18 years and older for whom BMI can be calculated from their self-reported weight and height (excludes unknowns or refusals for weight and height).

Other Objectives

Objective 3D.2: Reduce the percentage of persons aged 18 and over who are overweight but not obese to: 27.6 percent for all adults 28.1 percent for non-Hispanic Whites 28.4 percent for non-Hispanic Blacks 32.4 percent for Hispanics 36.6 percent for Males 25.1 percent for Females

How Are We Doing?

The percentage of adults who were overweight in New Jersey remained fairly constant over the decade at 37-38%. However the rate declined slightly to 36% in 2010. More years of data are necessary to determine if this is the beginning of a downward trend or simply random fluctuation.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The percentage of New Jersey resident adults who are overweight is one to two percentage points above the national rate.

What Is Being Done?

The New Jersey Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (NPAO) Program within the NJDHSS Office of Nutrition and Fitness coordinates efforts to work with communities to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions that address behaviors related to increasing physical activity, breastfeeding initiation and duration, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and to decreasing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-energy-dense foods, and to decrease television viewing. More information on the national NPAO Program may be found online at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html.