Let's face it. Americans of all races tend to eat more and are less active than their ancestors, which, is contributing to the obesity epidemic in the US. Recent statistics show that up to 66% the US population is overweight or obese. These weight trends are even more pronounced among African Americans with 60% of African American men and 78% of African American women identified as overweight. In addition, 28.8% of men and 50.8% of African American women are considered obese. The charts below show that black women lead the population both in the numbers who are overweight and obese. In these statistics, the white and black race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin.
What Factors Influence Diet?
Culture, environment, and heredity are some of the factors that affect what we eat and how our bodies process food.
Culture
Many studies have shown that, in general, African Americans:
Accept larger body sizes
Feel less guilt about over-eating
Are less likely to practice unhealthy dieting behaviors, such as over-exercising or purging
Although African Americans have a healthy acceptance of a wider range of body sizes, their tolerance may lead to more obesity and serious obesity-related health problems. To evaluate your weight, compare it to a body mass index (BMI) table. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for chronic diseases. Just losing a little weight can make a big difference.
Environment
Environmental influences on what we eat include:
Availability
Convenience
Cost
What the others around us are eating
What we were taught as children
Heredity
Some people may inherit genes that enable them to eat more than others, without gaining weight. Unfortunately, this is only a small percent of our population. On the other hand, many people inherit genes that make it difficult for them to lose weight. For most Americans, eating less and increasing physical activity is the best method for maintaining a healthy weight and good health. (Information provided by NetWellness)
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