Health

Body & Soul Initiative Helps Black Churches Reduce Health Disparities

Friday, 02 April 2010 14:58

RICHMOND, VA-- In conjunction with National Minority Health Month, The Balm In Gilead announced last week that it has added a major program to its repertoire of national faith-based initiatives that address health disparities among African Americans. Body & Soul is an evidence-based wellness program that was originally developed for African American congregations and piloted by the National Cancer Institute, The American Cancer Society, and researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The program promotes a healthy diet along with an active lifestyle as a means for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer among African Americans.

Fighting Childhood Obesity

Friday, 02 April 2010 14:03 Marian Wright Edelman

When First Lady Michelle Obama decided to launch the "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity, she brought much needed attention to a crisis facing millions of children. It's a special concern for children of color because new research shows Black and Hispanic children are disproportionally at risk for nearly a dozen factors that increase their chances to be obese. But children of color are far from the only ones in danger. Experts estimate one-third of American children are currently overweight or obese, and these rates have tripled among children ages 12 to 19 since 1980. Some adults may see a heavy child as a sign of a healthy eater, or think that for children, extra weight is mainly just a cosmetic issue. But serious risks for overweight children go far beyond appearance.

Changing the Northside food environment

Monday, 29 March 2010 13:57 Stella Whitney-West, CEO NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center

There is a movement sweeping America. Whether in family homes, schools, neighborhoods or in the kitchen of the Obama White House, there is a growing belief in the need to take control of what we eat thereby improving our health and our lives. North Minneapolis is no exception. The community has added its voice to the call for community gardens, healthier food access and choices in our schools and work sites and neighborhoods.

Diabetes: An Epidemic Among African Americans

Friday, 26 March 2010 15:01 Melody Mendiola, MD

Diabetes is a leading cause of death in the United States and is a growing epidemic among the Black Americans. The statistics are staggering: according to the National Institute of Health, 3.7 million Black people - that's nearly 15 percent of non-Hispanic Blacks ages 20 and older - have diabetes. The good news is that diabetes can be managed, and even prevented.

Plastic surgery gaining acceptance in the African-American community

Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:51 Aleesa Mann, Special to the NNPA from the Howard University News Service

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - A woman pokes and pinches her face in front of a mirror, wondering if a smaller nose and thinner lips will boost her confidence. A patient stands in a gown as her doctor draws surgical lines on her body, and a man blushes, teary-eyed as his family sees him for the first time after his face-lift.

Michelle Obama's Childhood Obesity Campaign inspiring parents to take action

Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:49 Alexa Murray, Special to the NNPA from the Howard University News Service

WASHINGTON (NNPA) —Those chips, sodas and snacks that children look forward to when they go into the school lunchroom may soon disappear if First Lady Michelle Obama gets her way. The First Lady started the “Let’s Move” campaign, whose aim is to work with schools and parents to make sure all children are able to receive affordable and nutritious food and safe places to play.

Minorities at greater risk for kidney disease

Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:46

WALTHAM, MA – Certain ethnic minorities, including African Americans and Hispanics, are at a higher risk than the general population for developing potentially life-threatening chronic kidney disease (CKD), which has been linked to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).