Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures, a great source of satisfaction for us all. We can enjoy food but we need to remember that the primary job for food is to nourish our bodies. When we don’t have the right balance of foods and don’t have adequate exercise we end up with “obesity”. Obesity is more common in African Americans than other ethnic groups.
According to the CDC of Vital Health Statistics, 60.1% of African-American males are overweight and 78% of Black women lead the population in obesity and being moderately overweight. In order to get to a solution, we must identify the problems.
According to the CDC of Vital Health Statistics, 60.1% of African-American males are overweight and 78% of Black women lead the population in obesity and being moderately overweight. In order to get to a solution, we must identify the problems.
Makeisha Lee, Black Health Consultant offers the following insight.
For African Americans there tends to be certain factors that play a role and influence our food choices such as our history, religion, our culture, friends, family and environment. Let’s discuss three of these factors in particular.
Our tolerance of these larger sizes has lead us to be more obese and subsequently left us with more obesity/health related illness. We also tend to feel less guilty about overeating thus making it less likely for us to diet.
Second, is our environment including what seems to be available to us, and the cost associated with our choices in food. In our neighborhoods, we have these fast food carry-outs on nearly every corner and mini markets that only offer us fried fatty foods laden with sodium. Then there is processed foods and sugar filled drinks to wash it down with.
Third and lastly, one of the most important culprits is our family and upbringing. What we're taught as children from our families sets the tone for us in regards to our food choices. Many of our families do not make nutrition a top priority. So this gets passed down generation after generation. For us, our family tradition as a community is “soul food”. Nothing is wrong with this tradition in and of itself, but there is a problem for our less active lifestyles these days in combination with the fact that this soul food diet is laden with high fat content, sugar, and sodium for flavor.
We must begin to correct our unhealthy eating habits by cleansing our bodies to naturally remove harmful substances and allow the body to return to its normal metabolic function. Cleansing will enable us to overcome food cravings, and re-establish natural hunger so we can cultivate a true and balanced appreciation for food. Once we have done this, we just have to modify how we prepare our food by cutting back on the fat, use alternatives for white processed sugar, and switch to sea salt instead of table salt to decrease sodium. Even these small adjustments can make a difference and you can still have great tasting food. In fact, cooking with natural foods organically grown is the best option for nutritious and flavorful food.
Significantly decreasing your intake of fast foods while increasing physical activity and exercise will be an added benefit overall. So hopefully through more education and awareness on this matter of obesity, this trend within our community can be reversed and we all can feel healthier, more energized and better equipped to enjoy life’s possibilities!
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