Public health officials in New Jersey are encouraging residents to get out ahead of preventable diseases.

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Ocean County Health Department public information officer Leslie Terjesen said the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are alarming.

"Today, seven in 10 deaths in the United States are related to preventable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer," Terjesen said.

She also added another troubling statistic: that 75 percent of the U.S. health care cost is spent treating preventable diseases, while only 3 percent is spent on prevention programs.

With National Public Health Week 2014 continuing on Wednesday, Terjesen encourages residents to get regular health screenings, and to take advantage of programs being offered by health departments that help you control harmful addictions.

As part of its "Live Strong Ocean County" program, the Ocean County Health Department offers pre-diabetes programs, blood pressure checks, osteoporosis screenings and mobile stroke risk assessment programs.

Terjesen said the county also offers free HIV testing, a host of cancer screening programs, and has started a substance abuse task force to addresses the drug addiction and overdose crises.

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