Weight Loss For African American Women

An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese (Klein 2000). “"Affecting one in five Americans – or more than 22 percent of the U.S. population – obesity is one of the most pervasive health problems in our nation right now," said George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery and associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. "We need to implement steps to slow the progression of this national epidemic” (NAASO 1999). But the problem of obesity does not only affect the United States. "We now know that the growing prevalence of obesity is creating major health problems worldwide," said Dr. James O. Hill, president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Obesity was once regarded as unique to Americans, but it is now seen as a global health risk affecting developing and underdeveloped countries (AOA 2000). Obesity is increasing at an epidemic rate in the United States - 1.3% a year for women over 20. Rates of obesity among minority populations, including African-Americans and Hispanic Americans are especially high (AOA 2000). There is also a marked increase in obesity among children.

Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.

Obesity was significantly more prevalent amongst female African Americans in this community. With the highest rate affecting women between the ages of 45 to 64. Obesity was also higher amongst Black females who’s educational attainment was lower

The objectives for the Healthy People 2020 program include desired progress in nutrition and weight issues, and there are few communities in the country that do not need to pay a significant amount of attention to these problems (Healthy People, 2012). New Jersey is actually faring better than many states across many indicators, including overall obesity, however overweight and obesity as well as the behaviors that place people at risk for developing obesity are still major problems for adults and for children in communities across the state (CDC, 2012; Manalapan Board of Health; New Jersey Department of Education, 2010). Addressing childhood obesity in a manner that corrects problems from the outset and that teaches preventative methods in a proactive attempt to reduce both childhood and adult obesity levels is a key concern of Manalapan Township, specifically, and this issue is examined further in the following pages.

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

Obesity has become a major problem here in America. Although millions of American’s are affected by it, from all levels of society, the biggest problem seems to be focused with low-income families.

I am going to discuss the issue of obesity among American minorities. Elma Dieppa, cousin of Helen Casillas, still wonders if her beloved family member would be alive today if she had been more conscious of her weight contribution to her diabetes. "She refused to take care of herself by not watching what she consumed or finding time during her day to exercise," Dieppa explains, reminiscing her as the “life of the party” during family reunions. At the age of 44, Casillas unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack. Although Casillas worked in the medical field, the perception of her disease was skewed believing that she was not in fact over

Recruited were a total of 28 African-American women to participate in this faith-based weight loss study by word of mouth, fliers in the church, and pastoral encouragement. Inclusion criteria included ages 18 to 80, self-identified as African-American, female, at least 25% above ideal body, and in reasonable health. However, the researcher randomized only 16 women; 8 into the faith intervention group and 8 into the control group.

Over the years obesity has become more and more prevalent in the United States. Currently, approximately 35% of Americans are obese. The Center for Disease Control statistics on obesity are alarming. They have reported the obesity rate to be higher in Non-Hispanic blacks than Hispanics. 47% to 42%, while 32.6% of Non-Hispanic whites are obese. In addition to ethnicity, the CDC looked at obesity among age groups. Obesity was found to be higher among middle-aged adults 40-59, rather than younger adults age 20-39. As far as socio-economic groups were considered, Non-Hispanic black and Mexican American men with higher incomes are more likely to be obese than those with low income. When genders were factored in, the opposite was found. Non-Hispanic

The intrapersonal model focuses on health promotion and health education efforts in order to increase awareness of health-related issues among individuals, such as knowledge, attitudes, personal beliefs, and the individual’s skill set (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015). This is important because it zeros in on the individual and what they know and can do in order to allow for change. One of the many models within the intrapersonal theory is the transtheoretical model, also known as the stages of change model. The transtheoretical model’s constructs are that the individual goes through incremental stages when changing a behavior instead of making big changes all at the same time (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015). The first construct is the precontemplation stage, where the individual has not yet thought about changing their behavior. Next, is the contemplation stage, where the individual is actively thinking about the pros and cons of change. Then the next stage is preparation, where the individual is thinking about a plan of action. Next, is the action stage, where the change is taking place in the individual’s behavior. Finally, the maintenance stage, where the change becomes a permanent change in the individual’s lifestyle. (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015). The importance in this model is the ability

Fried chicken, mash potatoes and collard greens mixed with fatback meat was my family’s favorite Sunday meal. Soul food, as it has been called, is valued by many African American families. Given the worldwide obesity epidemic that appears to be affecting most ethnic groups, there is an appreciation that the causes of obesity among African American families and others must lie in the fundamental aspects of the food supply (Capers, C et al. 2011). In my opinion, African Americans in the United Sates are more likely to be obese because there is a large number of low-income families’ and many are uninsured. According to the Office of Minority Health, African American women have the highest rates of being obese compared to other groups in

Definition of Health Promotion is increasing awareness, indentifying alternatives and influencing attitudes of the people, so that they can make an informed decision and change their behaviors to achieve an optimal level of mental, physical and social health. Health promotion is also defined as the process of empowering people to improve and take control of their health to optimize the quality of their lives. Ennis et al (2006) has explained health promotion as emotional, cognitive and behavioral endeavor to promote well being and health of the people. Davis (1995) expresses a deeper perspective in which preventive health science, social environment,

Fit Body and Soul are initiatives for lifestyle change show promise in helping to promote healthy behaviors in African American communities. Faith community programs can influence health care practices and health care planning especially in high risk minority populations. African Americans are more likely to attend and participate in faith-based services than Whites from the same faith. Fit Body and Soul takes the proven diabetes prevention program lifestyle intervention program, and uses the church-community experiences of the "Body and Soul" study as a faith-based effort. Fit Body and Souls keeps in mind the church mission and goal of being spiritually healthy and has adopted bible scripture to develop a 12-session intervention.The intervention

As Nurses, we often ask ourselves what more can we do than is currently being done to improve the health of our clients not only in an individual sense but as a community. We are required by the scope and standards of nursing to ask ourselves this type of question by virtue of our profession and indeed is a baccalaureate nurse essential as well. We are in a unique position as nurses to have the most interaction with the community of patients we serve, and we often see the issues that affect the communities we serve more readily. One such issue that is undeniably

The study activities institutional review broad approval was obtained from the university where the principal investigator is employed. Eligible participants were asked to participate in this study about their perception of unhealthy and healthy eating and activity. In their first meeting at the church, the study was explained, and writing informed consent was obtained. In the study the researcher stated that they used audiotaped and told participants their responses would remain confidential. After two weeks they returned back to the church to distribute digital cameras, they demonstrated how to use the camera, and explained to participants what they need to take picture of. Participants were trained to respect privacy and asking for