Wellness

I chose to eat healthier back in January and lost 20 pounds so far.  The weight loss was secondary to me wanting to be healthier in general, but especially as Black Woman I felt it extra important to make a change not just for myself but to help set a better example to others.  I found this article on black celebrities who have battled with their weight loss issues in front of us all I wanted to share it with you.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think

Black celebrities battle obesity problem on public stage

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 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.

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.oregonlive.com/celebrity-news/index.ssf/2012/12/black_celebrities_battle_obesi.html

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher for healthylocsblog.com

{ 3 comments }