In working to first assess then improve the health of the community, Princeton Future (PF) is creating a Princeton Health Corps as it embarks on a long-term project in collaboration with the Board of Health.

At an opening public gathering in the Library Community Room on Saturday morning, participants discussed: “How does the Princeton community’s lifestyle impact the health of its citizens?” With a focus on dietary habits and physical activity, Princeton Future set forth its plan to help “collect, manage, analyze, and disseminate health-related data for decisions about all of us: the residents, the students and the employees of our community.” 

Rick Weiss, Board of Health member, Princeton Future Council member and president of Viocare Inc., emphasized the importance of gathering valid data on diet and lifestyle from all parts of the community. “You need to know what we’re doing now before you can suggest changes,” he said. “If we do this right, our community will have better health.”

Pointing out Princeton Future’s goal of providing fact-based discussion around issues that reflect its hopes for the community, PF council president Kevin Wilkes noted that community health was an important topic that called for thorough statistical analysis. PF is currently recruiting a team of 30 individuals who will each enlist 10 other Princeton residents, “across a swathe that represents the many different types of people in our community,” to complete an online survey about health, lifestyle, and dietary habits.

As the initiative moves ahead in the coming year, according to Mr. Wilkes, “We plan to build upon that survey and expand with recommendations and suggestions for healthy living. We can achieve this goal, which means we can live longer and we can live well.”

Princeton-based Viocare Inc., which specializes in nutrition analysis and dietary assessment software, will be creating and administering the questionnaire. “People have busy lives,” Mr. Weiss said, “but this will be a simple, quick survey. I urge people to participate. The more people who participate, the more valuable the results will be.”

Setting the larger framework for the ensuing discussion, Princeton Council member Heather Howard led off Saturday’s meeting by confronting the question “Where is Healthcare Going?” A member of the Board of Health and lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School, Ms. Howard provided an overview of the success of the Affordable Care Act in greatly reducing the number of New Jersey’s uninsured. She also noted, however, that the United States, which spends more money for health care than any other nation but ranks only in the middle in terms of overall results, needs to spend more money on maintaining healthy lifestyles and diets.

George DiFernando, a physician and also a member of the Princeton Board of Health, described the functioning of the public health system and the Board’s goal “to promote and protect the health of the community.” commenting on Princeton Future’s health initiative, he emphasized, “We must collaborate to survive.”

Mr. Weiss, in his remarks on “the Quality of a Healthy Diet,” pointed out that the U.S. population falls short in terms of both dietary patterns and physical activity guidelines. Too much saturated fat, salt, and sugar seem to be the major culprits in the American diet. Mr. Weiss stated, “The foundation of behavior change is a clear understanding of where you are starting from.”

“Princeton is such a wonderful community,” Mr. Wilkes concluded, “we want everyone to live as long as possible to enjoy it.” To learn more about the Princeton Future initiative or to sign up to join the Princeton Health Corps team, email PFCouncil@aol.com.