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Schools

New Jersey has implemented the following legislative actions and policies to address obesity in schools. 

  • New Jersey has nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales. 
  • New Jersey has nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements.
  • New Jersey has core curriculum standards for health and physical education that requires that students have a minimum of 150 minutes of health, physical education (PE) and safety education per week in grades 1 through 12. 
Communities

New Jersey has implemented the following legislative actions and policies to address obesity in communities.

  • The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) instituted a Complete Streets policy that ensures that all future roadway improvement construction projects include pedestrian safety elements and components. 
  • New Jersey menu labeling regulation requires major restaurant chains with more than 20 locations statewide to post calorie counts on their menus, menu boards and drive-through windows for menu items (P.L. 2009, c. 306).
  • New Jersey entitles a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location of a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement wherein the mother is otherwise permitted (N.J.S.A. 26:4B-4).
  • All municipalities may sell and lease unneded public property for urban farming and gardening purposes (P.L. 2011, c. 171).
  • NJ municipalities are allowed to sell and lease unneeded public property to certain nonprofits for gardening and urban farming and exempts such urban farms from property taxation (P.L. 2011, c.35).
  • New Jersey state law  authorizes the NJ Department of Agriculture to implement a mobile farmers' market and fresh produce voucher program for residents of urban "food desert" communities (P.L. 2011 c.223).
Child Care

New Jersey has implemented the following legislative actions and policies to address obesity in child care centers.