OLD BRIDGE — Thanks to a new initiative, the township may get a little fitter.
Mayor Patrick Gillespie announced that Old Bridge will take part in the Mayors Wellness Campaign, a project designed to help New Jersey residents get in shape and live healthier lifestyles.
“The goal is to have a fitter community …[and] improve people’s health,” he said.
Gillespie said that the stories covered in the media about the obesity problem plaguing the state and nation are “frightening.” With all the advances in technology and health care, Gillespie said lifespans should be getting longer. Yet studies have found that life expectancies for the next generation ofAmericans will be less than they are now, and Gillespie said this relates to the obesity problem the country is facing.
“We are essentially creating diseases for ourselves, and that is something that, with some effort, can be combated,” he said.
Old Bridge has made significant investments in its parks and recreational facilities in recent years, including a partnership with the Old Bridge YMCA and school district to renovate Lombardi Field, Gillespie said.
“I view participating in this program as an extension of these existing investments that improve the quality of life for Old Bridge residents,” Gillespie said.
The township is also home to Raritan Bay Medical Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Fitness & Wellness Center, as well as many other gym and fitness facilities. Gillespie said the time seemed right to unite all these entities toward a common goal of encouraging township residents to improve their health.
“I just thought it all fit together — the idea of trying to bring everyone under one umbrella,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie has formed a 12-member com- mittee to help guide the Mayors Wellness Campaign, with officials from the school district and township as well as health care and fitness representatives from Old Bridge.
Linda Mazzella, director of community and physician relations for Raritan Bay Medical Center and a member of the committee, said she is eager to pitch in for the campaign in any way she can.
“I’m very excited that this has come to Old Bridge, and I think it can really pull a lot of different aspects together to increase the wellness of the citizens,” Mazzella said.
Though still in its infancy, the YMCA kicked off the Old Bridge Mayor’s Wellness Campaign with a series of weekly 5K runs that were held on Wednesdays this summer. The runs will restart in the fall.
The committee has many ideas for the future events and promotions, Mazzella said. During its first organizational meeting, she said, there were ideas for everything from encouraging restaurants to providing healthy eating options to teaching residents about how to avoid injury while exercising.
Gillespie said the next event may be a cooking demonstration to promote healthy eating.
The Mayor’s Wellness Campaign aims to increase opportunities for New Jersey residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of reducing personal and health care costs related to obesity. Mayors in Woodbridge, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Metuchen are involved in the campaign, and Gillespie said he is excited to be participating.
“Obesity is a challenge that both government and individuals need to recognize and confront,” Gillespie said. “The costs to public health will be so significant that failure to address this problem is not an option.”
For more information, visit www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org or www.oldbridge.com.