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Evan Agostini / AP
TV personality Star Jones launched a campaign that reflect an emerging trend among African American women: Finding creative ways to combat the obesity epidemic that poses a threat to their longevity.
Nicole Ari Parker was motivated by frustration. For Star Jones, it was a matter of life or death. Toni Carey wanted a fresh start after a bad breakup.
All three have launched individual campaigns that reflect an emerging priority for African-American women: finding creative ways to combat the obesity epidemic that threatens their longevity.
African-American women have the highest obesity rate of any group of Americans. Four out of five black women have a body mass index above 25 percent, the threshold for being overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By comparison, nearly two-thirds of Americans overall are in this category, the CDC said.
Many black women seem to not be be bothered that they are generally heavier than other Americans.
Calorie-rich, traditional soul food is a staple in the diets of many African-Americans, and curvy black women are embraced positively through slang praising them as "thick" with a "little meat on their bones," or through songs like the Commodore's "Brick House" or "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Washington Post earlier this year found that 66 percent of overweight black women had high self-esteem, while 41 percent of average-sized or thin white women had high self-esteem.
Still, that doesn't mean black women reject the need to become healthier.
Historically black, all-female Spelman College in Atlanta is disbanding its NCAA teams and devoting those resources to a campus-wide wellness program. In an open letter announcing Spelman's "wellness revolution," president Beverly Daniel Tatum cited a campus analysis that found many of Spelman's 2,100 students already have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or other chronic ailments.
"Spelman has an opportunity to change the health trajectory of our students and, through their influence, the communities from which they come," Tatum's letter said.
Jones, who underwent open heart surgery in 2010 at age 47 and now urges awareness about heart disease among black women, was met by an overflow crowd earlier this year when she convened a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation panel on black women and obesity.
"We have to get ourselves out of being conditioned to think that using soft words so we don't hurt peoples' feelings is doing them any favor," Jones said. "Curvy, big-boned, hefty, full-figured, fluffy, chubby. Those are all words designed to make people feel better about themselves. That wasn't helpful to me."
Jones once embraced being large and fabulous, at 5 feet 5 inches tall and 300 pounds. But under that exterior, she said, she was morbidly obese, suffering from extreme fatigue, nausea, lightheadedness, heart palpitations and blurred vision. The attorney and TV personality also had gastric bypass surgery in 2003.
Now, she advises women to make simple changes such as reducing salt intake, exercising 30 minutes a day, quitting smoking, controlling portion sizes and making nutritious dietary choices.
Nutritionist and author Rovenia M. Brock, known professionally as Dr. Ro, agrees with Jones. She said getting active is only about 20 percent of the fight against obesity. The rest revolves around how much people eat.
"Our plates are killing us," she said.
Brock said "food deserts," or urban areas that lack quality supermarkets, are a real obstacle. She suggested getting around that by carpooling with neighbors to stores in areas with higher-quality grocery options or buying food in bulk. She also suggested growing herbs and vegetables in window-box gardens.
"Stop focusing on what's not there, or what you think is not there," Brock said. "We have to get out of this wimpy, 'woe is me' mentality."
While first lady Michelle Obama has encouraged exercise through her "Let's Move" campaign targeting childhood obesity, the spark for this current interest among black women may have been comments last year by Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, who observed publicly that women must stop allowing concern about their hair to prevent them from exercising.
Some black women visit salons as often as every two weeks, investing several hours and anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars each visit — activity that, according to the Black Owned Beauty Supply Association, helps fuel a $9 billion black hair care and cosmetics industry.
In an interview during a health conference in Washington last week, Benjamin said the damage sweat can inflict on costly hairstyles can affect women's willingness to work out, and she hopes to change that. She goes to beauty industry conferences to encourage stylists to create exercise-friendly hairdos.
"I wouldn't say we use it as an excuse, we use it as a barrier," Benjamin said. "And that's not one of the barriers anymore. We're always going to have problems with balancing our lives, but we could take that one out."
Parker, an actress who starred in "A Streetcar Named Desire" on Broadway earlier this year, understands this dilemma well. Out of personal frustration over maintaining both her workout and her hair, she created "Save Your Do" Gymwrap — a headband that can be wrapped around the hair in a way that minimizes sweat and preserves hairstyles.
"Not just as a black woman, but as a woman, since the beginning of time, beauty has been our responsibility," Parker said in an interview. Because of that, she said, exercise has become linked with vanity instead of health.
"We've turned exercise into a weight-loss regimen," Parker said. "No. Exercise is about being grateful for the body you have and sustaining the life you have. ... Take all the hype out of the exercise and think of it as brushing your teeth."
With their mutual family histories of diabetes and high blood pressure in mind, Carey, 28, and her sorority sister Ashley Hicks, 29, co-founded the running club Black Girls Run. Carey also considered it a new beginning after a bad breakup and a move across country. Since 2009, Black Girls Run has amassed 52,000 members who serve as a support system for runners.
Black Girls Run has about 60 groups nationwide that coordinate local races in Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C, Houston and Greensboro, N.C. Most groups run at least five times a week. Next month, the national running club will take its first "Black Girls Run — Preserve the Sexy" tour to cities with high obesity rates. The tour includes health and fitness clinics with information on nutrition, hair maintenance and running gear.
"We found that when you want to get healthy and when you want to be active, it's intimidating," Carey said. "You don't know where to start. There's a little coaxing that has to go along with that."
Parker said once African-American women place value on their bodies and longevity, everything else will follow. It costs her nothing, she said, to walk around an outdoor track with her husband, actor Boris Kodjoe, or run up and down stairs at home with her headphones.
"One good step breeds another one," Parker said. "You're going to have one less margarita, one less scoop of Thanksgiving macaroni ... and yet you're not doing anything fanatical or dramatic."
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Way to perpetuate sterotypes Ms. Anderson. Soul food is not and never has been even a small part of my diet and I am an overweight African-American woman. Beyonce's lyrics are not responsible for the size of my butt. Give us more credit than that! I work with a nutritionist, a trainer, and my doctor regarding my weight on a regular basis. In my opinion the generalizations made in this article are irresponsible and just support assumptions made about black women.
Good thing the article says many and not all. Way to perpetuate bad reading comprehension.
And yet no progress? What does the doctor say?
Banning all processed sugars is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup show up in almost every American processed food product that you can think of. What should one do? Buy fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and learn to cook. I'm sorry, but that's about the only reasonable way of making sure you keep added sugars out of your diet. The nutritionist, J.J. Virgin, has a more severe diet that bans some other foods, and you may want to look into it. However, if you just focus on banning added sugars alone, you will lose weight and you will keep your teeth, too. Some foods, like: corn, white rice, white bread and potatoes are very hyperglycemic. They are almost like sugar in the way they get metabolized rapidly after you eat them. The difference between them and pure sugar is really not so different. So, if you can cut these obvious offenders out, it will also make a big difference.
Using words like "many", "most", "majority" without statistics is a way to perpetuate inaccurate information Mr., Ms. or Mrs. boom!reason.
Blacks & whites need there own farms back and the corporate farming industry that ran many family owned farms out of business by lowering prices then, working with the government to take land when family farmers couldn't compete should all be litigated against. "Many loss their land because they could not afford the taxes after this massive corporate takeover of family farms.
Now they are placing genetically modified corn syrup in many of the products that are used causing many people and children to become sick and sterile.
This BS has to stop!!!!!
And those behind this massive takeover should be held liable and responsible.
It is way too much BS to fight out here and most of the BS comes from these large corporations.
In order to get order back in this nation and for individuals to empower themselves we need our authority and businesses delegated back to the citizens and not the corporations of the United States of America!!!!!
These Corporations have run a muck.
And the only laws that are made are those to protect some DAMN investors who are the wealthy!!!!
There are no laws on the books which protect consumers and they can even sale fake weed that kill kids without the introduction of laws.
This Sh!% has GOT TO STOP!!!!!!
PLAYA.....
Not quite. "Most" and "majority" clearly indicate more than half, while "many" indicates less than half.
This site is not the place people go to read studies, as there are journals for that. Journalists have found that most people don't even read past the first paragraph, and it's quite well known that the majority of people can't interpret statistical figures.
Indeed, the person ironically named "smart303" didn't realize that "many" doesn't mean "all." Do you expect her to understand that even 30% is a significant figure? No, most people are inclined to see 30% and think "oh, only 30%."
Using those terms properly accurately portrays the realities to the masses.
Good for these women to proactively seek lifestyle changes that will make them healthier! Spreading the word to make others aware is great, too. There are so many people in this country who are trying to make a positive difference and take responsibility for themselves. I applaud them, and anyone else who is trying to be part of the solution and NOT be part of the problem!
Thanksgiving macaroni???
My family doesn't like turkey, so we eat ham, but I think I'd pass up the macaroni, so I'm certainly not getting any calories from that!
We always have mac on holidays. Just because you don't have that as a tradition doesn't mean it's weird.
I'm not black, My Mom's Greek Born (an American Citizen since she was a child) and my Dad is Irish, Norwegian and German, we have had Mac and Cheese as a side dish for Christmas since my son was small, it was the only thing he'd eat... We never eat 'traditional Christmas Turkey', but experiment with dishes for the family. We've had homemade Lasagna, tri-tip, squab, game hens, etc.
guess we're weird... YAY! :)
From a traditional German family there is always a pan of macaroni and cheese at a holiday dinner. Typically it comes out for dinner. You eat a small dollop not the whole pan. Mac and cheese is not the enemy if you eat a reasonable portion. There is calcium, protein, carb and yes fat. You eat a portion..not the pan.
As a woman if I have somewhere to go I exercise after I go or the next morning so I don't have to redo my simple white girl hairstyle.
When I moved to the south I was amazed to find macaroni and cheese served at every gathering. When sign-up sheets would be sent out for a Thanksgiving potluck, macaroni and cheese would be listed under vegetables!
Its about making life style changes. Pushing back from the table and taking control of what you put in your body. I am not saying it's so easy because as people we are each unique in our own way. Exercise has to become a way of life. Just walking for 30 min. a day. Even a consistent 15. To black women that may have read the story don't be upset. Just do you so that you are healthy and happy.
Line from Brick House:
"36-24-36 what a winning hand."
Nothing thick or fat about that figure. I guess the author is confused by this line:
"Just lettin' it all hang out"
Ms. Anderson should read the lyrics to a song before she uses the song to try to set an example.
Or maybe she is just another sign of how society has gone all boney and anorexic and don't every understand what a decent proper figure looks like. Too many people think that looking like androgynous sticks is beautiful.
I say they need to eat a cheeseburger.
Yes, I never knew that "Brick House" song was about obesity, I thought it was about being busty, at least that's what I was told...
Hottie, who's the chick in the pic?
How long did these women take to associate overeating with obesity? Food is necessary for survival, just not in the quantity that most overweight people consume it. Moderation and exercise is the cure.
There was a study done a couple of years ago that stated Black and Latino women had very positive body image though many were overweight. The same group were less likely to be anorexic and/or bulimic. In the last few years, I have seen an increase in weight loss ads targeting these specific groups. It would be my guess, the weight-loss industry needs to increase their profit margins, especially since the without those groups include, they already rake in billions a year.
It is well known that black men like thick women but I think it is an excuse for the women to let their weight get out of control. I did say "thick"..i am not sure how many really like an obese woman. This also goes for white girls who use the excuse that being thick is attractive. I would rather be fit with muscle than fat and jiggly any day.
Eat a few more vegetables and fruit and less rice and potatoes, smoke a little less, drink a little less alcohol, walk a little more and see what happens. Get rid of the big plates for smaller plates, large pans for small pans, soft drinks for sugar free Ice tea or sparkling water. Life style change doesn't mean slamming on the brakes, it's just better to slow it down.
Itstime...............great advice. I work out in a gym 4 times a week. A while back a "full figured" woman asked me my advice on exercise and how to become more fit. My suggestions were:
1. Restrict alcohol
2. Treadmill one mile a day
3. Restrict fats
Her response was, "I cant' do without my cock tails. I like my fried pork chops. Whew! 15 min on the treadmill is enough!" 15 min on the treadmill will burn up the calories from a Lifersaver!
One pound of fat is 3500 calories so an average mile walk which will burn 100 cal. would have to be expanded to 35 miles to lose one pound. IT can be done.
Most people are too lazy and poorly motivated to do anything.
I'm a white male, aged 46. In April I weighed 280 lbs. and had 35% body fat. I decided to lose the weight so I made some big changes to my diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables, either raw or steamed, make up about 80% of my solid food intake. I have all but eliminated refined sugar, white bread and potatoes from my diet. No soda either. I eat very little dairy. I use soy milk instead of coffee creamer. Starting in September I began doing a 100 minute power walk on the treadmill 6 days a week. When I first started I could do 5 miles, now I'm up to 6.6. Today I weigh 205 lbs. and have 18% body fat. I'm only 25 lbs. away from my goal weight of 180. Funny thing is, I don't feel deprived when it comes to food. People that haven't seen me in a while can't believe it's me. It can be done.
Bottom line is..Black women need to step-it-up. I am a Black man that looks right past a "fat-black woman". Matter of fact..you can leave out the "black" in that statement. Black women have been Oprah-ized to think that "however' they look is good enough. Then the statistics prove that they are the least married, the least courted, and the most obese. The we hear the excuse that "other" women are stealing "their men". I'm sorry..I dont "belong" to ANYONE. I'm an American and my pool of eligible women is "every human woman on the planet". Black men aren't being stolen. They're happily..and finally..going to the highest (best looking) bidder. Black women need to step it up..period. Get your bodies tight. No excuses.
How bout you go exercise your mind and tighten up your brain. Then you might not have to be such an expert on every human woman on the planet- you might be able to find someone that actually likes YOU.
Rapidrush, what is wrong with a guy saying he likes a reasonably fit woman? If a young, single person has some teddy bear fluff now, they will look like Jabba the Hut later. Nobody likes Jabba the Hut.
If thin people let themselves go a little, they get teddy bear fluff. If a plump person lets themselves go, they become giant slugs.
Black women don't need to be told to "step it up" by the internets. I am thin, black female, who holds an advance degree and dates regularly. (I am okay with being walked passed by superficial individuals or haters with complaints and never an effective solution.)
While is okay that you prefer certain appearing women. It doesn't mean that that you need to lecture us all. Hopefully you mean to say:
Unhealthy black women need to work to improve their health and overall well-being.
PS: I do not think black men are stolen. They are humans and humans have free will. I wouldn't want anyone that wouldn't dream of being near anyone that looked like me or thinks "needs to step up" the minute I come within eyeshot.
Club man - Well said!!!!
You digress. We are talking about weight and health; not relationships. Please head in the White direction. I pity the dark sister that comes your way. It's so apparent that you need to abuse us in order to excuse/satiate your desire for white flesh. You are not my man!
So, why is it OK for black men to be with a "fat" white girl.
But you were stolen from Africa I guess. Nab they'll take any white girl just to show whitey he took our woman. They tell them in church to do that.
Does not matter to me whether the lady is white OR black. Fat is fat AND not attractive no matter how politically correct you try and make it. For that matter fat guys are not cool either.
I'm just thinking about all the comments being typed here one-handed while people scarf down a couple more Cinnabons and wash 'em all down with a half liter of Coke. Hey, no one's looking, go ahead! Tomorrow you can mutter something about your "family heredity" problem, never mentioning your long-distance running cousin who is as thin as a rail and living la vida loca! PASS THE GRAVY, BIATCH!
"...one less scoop of Thanksgiving macaroni..."
There is no such thing as Thanksgiving macaroni. Macaroni is not on the approved list of Thanksgiving foods. End of discussion.
Tatts - what ever people choose to put on their thanksgiving memu is their families choice and not yours. Mash potatoes and gravy are not for every family.
Obesity relates to education. Most smart people are not overly obese. Ignorance fosters obesity more than anything. And an obese parent passes their ignorance on to their kids who will be obese. McDonald's in affluent neighborhoods don't do as well as McD's in neighborhoods where education is a challenge. Did you ever look at the clientele during dinner at a McD's?
Rober...................over a third of the women in my graduate school working on an MBA are obese!
I like a big butt on a woman.
You must be very happy these days...
Don't blame your plates for your obesity, regardless what race or sex.....push your fat ass away from the table and scrape your plate into the garbage after 1 helping! DUH!!!!????
Diane................................well said. A while back I stopped to eat at a buffet and a woman had 8 fried chicken breasts on her plate - she was so big she had to turn her chair sideways. As beautiful as she was black she was digging her grave with her fork.
Some how we seem to forget that "fat" is not just a black women issue - it is a American issue. That's why the First Lady, Michelle Obama has made it her focus - starting with our children. She realizes this has been a building problem in American for a very long time. NUFF SAD!!
It's all about the culture; and I'm not talking about race. I lost 40 pounds after moving to CO from the yellow-meal Midwest, and I'm not the only one who's done so.
Everyone here is active, body-aware, and not obsessed with food. Rather than having days planned around meals, days are planned around stuff to do. It's amazing what some vegetables and hiking can do.
What a boring article. It's nothing new here. This has been a problem for a long time and it is not just Black Women. What about all the other races. It is a nationwide problem. It is hard to eat properly and exercise, it's not easy because if it was everyone would be skinny. One reason for people (guess I can say Black women since this article is about them) is that there are no gyms in the hood, gym memberships cost money, plus if you live in a bad neighborhood you can't go out to exercise due to the violence or being afraid of being attacked. I really don't care if a person is fat or skinny, it's their life. Obviously the message is not getting through to Black women or the rest of America because we keep getting fatter and fatter. Now I am off to eat my bacon cheeseburger. Another note, we don't eat macaroni and cheese on Thanksgiving nor Christmas.
These Hollywood people just don't know how to say "no". The real problem is inner city black women. In my area you have two shapes of black women: boats or grown up crack babies that look like 12 year old boys. The problem here is food stamps and welfare. They eat better than people that make 6 digit salaries. And since they just sit at home, they eat these awesome meals five to six times a day. There's a lady at the welfare office here who will show young black woman how to cheat the system. Have three children get 800 in a month in food stamps, 400 in WIC, 1000 on the food stamp card that can be used for whatever they want. Why would you leave the house if you make twice what you would working? Of course you're dead at forty but that's just an over-site.
Fix the system and the black community needs better role models besides rap whores and Disney clones. I ain't trying to be racist or hurt people's feelings but I see black American women being used like cattle and lack of education and role models keep them blind to it. To me it's sickening and defeats the purpose of the entire Civil Rights Movement.
cavesitter - get your head out your "a$$" I mean cave. You seem to not realize their are white boats and grown up meth babies that like 72 years old but the size of a 10 yo. known to abuse the welfare/food stamp and WIC systems. I guess Roanna and Rosie O'Donnell are OK as role models for white woman, better yet how about Brittany Spears, Lohan or Miley for the younger women?
A relative from up north visited and told me that they had read that nearly all southern Black women over the age of 25 were shaped like either a pumpkin, a pear, or a potatoe. I shrugged them off as being a racist fool until later when we were out in public they made me take notice. Pretty much every Black female that past was shaped like...a PUMPKIN, a PEAR or POTATOE. You can't argue with that which you have personally witnessed.
Health is important and if your weight hurts your health, fix your weight. If you're healthy - FLAUNT THOSE CURVES. Nobody wants a walking skeleton. You go girl(s).
As Americans in general, "our plates" are indeed "killing us." The plates we eat on are called "serving plates" in Europe. There, they are meant to hold all of a particular dish, from which servings are doled out to the diners at table. The individuals' plates are much smaller, so, when full, hold less food. But the diner is satisfied psychologically because he or she has cleaned a full plate. In contrast, Americans' "full plate" is much larger, therefore Americans tend to consume too much food, and find it harder to become satisfied if a smaller portion is served on the larger plate.
A lot of obesity is simple plain laziness both in diet and in exercise.
When you need one of those electric carts to get around the dept. store it's time to make some changes.
You know, if they have been working with a nutritionist and working out, perhaps the diet is all wrong. I found out that just reducing calories was not working for me, so I started a low carb, high fat diet and have been shedding the pounds like magic. Seriously, since I gave up all breads, pastas, potatoes, corn, candy, sodas, it has melted away. I didn't change my exercise habits either. The amount of carbohydrates in our foods in the US is the culprit.