Resource guide now available to help New Jerseyans adopt healthier lifestyles Did you know that only 26 percent of New Jersey residents consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day and more than 37 percent of adults in the state are overweight? Those Centers for Disease Control statistics are just a few that epidemiology researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and the state Office of Cancer Control and Prevention (OCCP) hope to improve on with the dissemination of healthy lifestyle information they compiled in the latest New Jersey Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs resource guide. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The 235-page booklet focuses on nutrition, wellness and physical activity programs at hospitals, community centers and other entities throughout all 21 counties.The guide stems from a database developed by the Nutrition and Physical Activity Workgroup of the Task Force on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment in New Jersey. Elisa Bandera, M.D., Ph.D., an epidemiologist at CINJ and assistant professor of epidemiology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the School of Public Health, served as chairwoman for the workgroup. She says the main focus is to promote healthier lifestyles for New Jersey residents."This guide provides a one-stop resource for individuals and organizations to look for nutrition and exercise programs that address their particular needs.While many people know they need to do something to improve their health, they don't know where to get started.This booklet will help take away some of that mystery," she said. According to Margaret L. Knight, R.N. MEd, executive director of the OCCP, the programs contained in the guide will help toward goals of the New Jersey Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and the Healthy New Jersey 2010 initiative. "With this comprehensive resource, we not only hope to promote healthy eating patterns and exercise plans for cancer prevention, but we also hope it will foster a reduction in obesity rates and an increase in the amount of physical activity a person does as well as the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat," she noted. The information in the guide is broken down by county and provides vital information as to whether classes, workshops, counseling, fitness equipment and healthy onsite eating options are available.Also highlighted is whether a program serves a targeted population, such as seniors. The New Jersey Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs guide is now available at local libraries or online at http:www.state.nj.us/health/ccp/npap/i ndex.shtml.As entities update or offer new programs, they will have an opportunity to provide that information to the workgroup via a link located below the online guide. About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state's first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ's physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice quite literally bringing research to life.The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a center of excellence of UMDNJRobertWood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, call the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 888- 333-CINJ.