Obesity and African-American Women – I See Smoke

don’t believe the numbers, and in the face of institutional racism we all understand why. However, we know where truth lives in our own communities. We may not believe the exact numbers, but we also know that everything is not peachy keen in terms of health in the black community. Many of us doing quite well, but just like any other community, many of us have issues. I say all this because I want you to consider some widely quoted stats from the CDC and HHS.– African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. – About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.
– In 2010, African American women were 70% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.
– More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
– People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and LDL cholesterol — all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
– Deaths from heart disease and stroke are almost twice the rate for African Americans as compared to Whites.

These stats are high and your can argue with them. You can call them fiction, inflated, or an attack if you want. That’s not what matters. What matters is that there ARE African Americans who have health challenges that are directly related to their weight. What matters is that we look at ourselves and our families and consider whether we are dealing with obesity or if we are lying to ourselves. We have to determine for ourselves. No government report can define our health. No government stats can cure the effects of obesity. I take these stats as a alarm. I may not see fire, but if I see smoke…I know it’s time to move. I see smoke in terms of how weight and obesity is affecting our community. We don’t need stats to see that.