Obesity in African American Women - Research Paper Example

Obesity in African American Women Table of contents i. Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………4 Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…….…5 2. Obesity Statistics …………………………………………………………………………...5 Figure i………………………………………………………..………………….……6 3. Why African American Women?………….………….……………....…………………….6 3.1 Causes …………………………………….…………………………….................6 4. Factors Contributing to Overweight and Obesity…...………………………………….......7 4.1. Low-Income and food insecurity ………..…….…………………………………7 Figure ii………………………………………………………………………..8 4.2. Lack of access to healthier foods…………………...………………………….....8 4.3. Lack of physical activity.……………………....…………………........................9 4.4. Food deprivation and overeating………………………..……………………..…9 4.5. Other factors ……………………………………………..………………………9 5. Health issues....…………………………….………………………..……………………..10 6. Community Health Assessments (CHAs) and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP)………………………………………………………………………………………..11 6.1. What needs to be done?.........................................................................................11 6.2. What is being done?..............................................................................................12 7. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...……….....…13 ii. References…………………………………………………………………………..……14 Executive summary Obesity is a major issue in the African American women group in the United States. Their number is so high that it is a major contributor to the overall obesity crisis in the country’s entire population. Obesity gives birth to numerous diseases which have had an impact on health conditions of this ethnic group and has also raised death rates. The causes are mainly due to their less privileged socioeconomic status and low-income levels. If that is not the case, then the environment they live in has such diverse psychological effects that the coping mechanism African American women adopt risks obesity. Community Health Assessments and Improvement Plans help identify problems and develop processes in order to combat the epidemic. Awareness needs to be spread before matters go out of hand. Obesity in African American Women 1 Introduction For years now, African American women have been struggling from obesity. They are a highlighted group in the obesity affected population in the United States. Recent studies show that the heaviest Americans got heavier over the span of a decade. What is the reason behind this? Why are African American women suffering from obesity and the related diseases? What is the government doing to combat weight issues? Numerous researches have recently began to figure this out and to help the misfortunate counter this problem. Nation-wide bodies have acknowledged the fact that this cannot go on forever and something needs to be done. 2 Obesity Statistics With the highest obesity rates in the United States as compared to other groups, about 4 out of 5 African American women suffer with overweight/obesity (Office on Womens Health, 2010). According to a BU report, “No population in the United States has a higher obesity rate than African American women, four out of five of whom are overweight or obese, according to a 2012 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (Zimmerman, 2012). Considering the racial-ethnic disparities, a recent national analysis shows that rates of overweight and obesity are higher in Black women and Hispanic women as compared to White women, with the former being 82 percent and 77.2 percent respectively and the latter 63.2 percent. The study also indicates that extreme obesity tends to be higher in women (8.3 percent) as compared to men (4.4 percent). Black women have double the rate as compared to Hispanic or White women, with a mighty 16.4 percent over 7.4 and 7.6 percent (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). Figure 1. Obesity in the United States (Suppversity, 2014). The above figure shows that obesity in the United States is not exclusive to African American, but the rates of these women are much higher than Caucasian citizens (Suppversity, 2014). 3 Why African American Women? The obesity rates are alarming in African American women. According to a senior epidemiologist at Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center, Julie Palmer, the causes of this are various and include genetics, unhealthy eating and surprisingly, socioeconomic status and the environment where these women live in. In the BU report, Palmer discussed the causes in detail (Zimmerman, 2012). 3.1 Causes Diet Unhealthy eating habits are common with African American women due to lack of awareness and lack of self-care (Zimmerman, 2012). Motherhood Another factor for obesity in Palmer’s study was childbearing. Palmer and her colleagues, in the 2003 paper Nature, stated that African American women also tend to have higher obesity due to having children young and being overweight during or at the time of pregnancy. What the BWHS team is trying to learn is if breast-feeding plays a role in getting a higher metabolism rate to combat weight gain following pregnancy. The reason this came up for African American women is the fact according to CDC that in 2005 and 2006, only 65 percent of black infants were breast-fed versus the 80 percent and 79 percent of Mexican American and Whites (Zimmerman, 2012). Discrimination Possibly one of the most important cause discovered in her research, Palmer states that psychological and social factors are contributors to obesity. Her study shows that 55 percent of obese women had been suffering discrimination and were experiencing racism at work and elsewhere (Zimmerman, 2012). 4 Factors Contributing to Overweight and Obesity Along with the causes mentioned earlier, the current high rates of obesity in the U.S are mainly due to individual behaviors and the environment that encourages high intake of caloric foods instead of physical activity, says the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). 4.1 Low-Income and food insecurity Surprising as it may sound, food insecure and low-income groups are more likely to be obese. The reason is their problems faced in adopting healthier lifestyles (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). Figure 2. Poverty Rates (Institute for Research on Poverty, 2015). The above figure indicates that poverty rates are higher for black communities in the U.S (Institute for Research on Poverty, 2015). 4.2 Lack of access to healthier foods Low-income, disadvantaged neighborhoods lack grocery stores filled with healthy and low-fat food options, if any are available at all and lack farmers’ markets where fresh fruit and vegetables can be purchased. Most of the residents are without reliable transportation and thus, are forced to shop at corner stores. This contributes to obesity (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). In contrast, if healthier foods are available, these families are unable to afford them as the healthier the food, the more expensive it gets. Households run on limited resources tend to extend their food budget by purchasing cheaper foods that are filling. This way, their calorie per dollar is increased. These foods have lower good nutrition in them, thus their consumption leads to obesity. In addition, healthier foods are usually of lower quality in poorer communities (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). 4.3 Lack of Physical Activity Low-income neighborhoods lack parks, bike paths and other recreational facilities. If available, they are unattractive and short of greenery, clean and walking-friendly sidewalks, display trash and generally these areas have more noise. If playgrounds are accessible, they are not maintained and have unsafe equipment, again creating a barrier to bustle of adults and children. Crime rates of such neighborhoods are higher than others. Families tend to engage in indoor activities instead, unwillingly contributing to their obesity. These limitations of unsafe and less fortunate communities discourage physical activity of any kind and do not help resolve obesity issues (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). 4.4 Food deprivation and overeating Those who eat less or skip meals to survive on their limited food budget tend to eat more when they do. This unstable cycle leads to gaining weight as these metabolic changes promote storage of fat, rather than burning it. This is common with mothers sacrificing their meals to feed their children (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). 4.5 Other factors Other factors contributing towards risk of obesity include high levels of stress due to low-wages, limited access to health care and greater exposure to open marketing of products that promote obesity (Food Research and Action Center, 2010). 5 Health issues Hitting the African American women the hardest, the obesity epidemic is decreasing the average life expectancy of black women by increasing their risks to diseases (American Psychological Association, 2015). A study shows that major causes of death in black women in 2009 were cardiovascular plus congenital cardiovascular diseases, affecting 34.2 percent women (American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee, 2013). Diseases which can be caused by obesity are: Heart disease Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure Breathing problems Stroke Cancers Arthritis Gallbladder disease (Office on Womens Health, 2010) It is their community which contributes to the current health crisis, says Past-President APA, Suzanne Bennett Johnson, PhD. James Jackson, PhD, Director of University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, says that regardless of their socioeconomic status, African American women have been subject to obesity due to racism. "Stress of being a black woman in a white mans world," Jackson said (American Psychological Association, 2015). Black women find solace from such stress in ‘comfort food’. According to another study on the American Journal of Epidemiology, the environment of an African American women contributes to her chances of getting type 2 diabetes (Seligson, 2010). 6 Community Health Assessments (CHAs) and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP) CHAs bring forth information on problems in public health, identification and development and implementation of policies to combat these problems. A CHIP is a process which uses data from CHA and works on key issues, forms and implements strategies and ensures health improvement. It looks beyond individual organizational performances and contributes towards greater health improvement (National Association of County and City Health Officials, 2015). 6.1 What needs to be done? In order to combat increasing obesity and its damaging effects, it is the role of the government to spread awareness in suffering communities. Educating black people on the causes of this obesity epidemic is the first step in improving these conditions. Black women need to be given a voice, so that they know who they are and so do those afflicting the pains of racism on them. Policies need to be passed to increase access to healthy, affordable foods and encourage physical activities in black women (American Psychological Association, 2015). Women need to be encouraged to take part in special programs that work towards weight loss, either by counselling on lifestyle ways or physical/medical treatments. Women should be taught to pay regular visits to their PCPs, in order to keep track of their health. The immense adverse effects should be told to them, so that they are motivated in helping themselves. Adults and children should be educated so they do not fall for advertisements that discourage healthy eating habits and drug usage. Low-income groups are usually attracted by such promotions and marketing. In addition, Julie Palmer believes that if certain legislations are passed to facilitate breast-feeding in the workplace, the problem of obesity due to pregnancy can be reduced. Also, women should be educated to birth control and family planning techniques as well as weight control during pregnancy (Zimmerman, 2012). Disadvantaged neighborhoods should be made better by stocking grocery stores with healthy foods and improvements made to the infrastructure of these communities to encourage healthy living. 6.2 What is being done? A number of interventions have been at work to improve the conditions of African American women. For example, a 12-week program called ‘Prime Time Sister Circles’ run by Marilyn Gaston and Gayle Porter, have seen behavioral changes. A women, after attending, told her grandson that she will start eating healthier in order to live longer to see his grandchildren (American Psychological Association, 2015). A strategic planning tool for improvising community health is ‘Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships’ (MAPP). This is a way of helping communities brainstorm ways to prioritize and address health problems. Facilitated by public health leaders, this is an interactive method to better the performance of local public health systems (National Association of County and City Health Officials, 2015). Other programs include lifestyle counselling which involves treating obesity in primary care practice, with the support of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) (Penn Medicine, 2011). 7 Conclusion Community health assessments, if carried out properly, can help better the rates of obesity and thus the quality of life of the groups that are vastly caught under the web of this awful epidemic. These assessments, improvement plans and processes may start from local communities but consistent work will see a healthier community at large as, one by one, area after area will be educated and aware of the severity of the matter and will be involved in active programs to help counter the issue. This will lower obesity rates in the United States and in turn, reduce death rate by eliminating some, if not all, diseases caused by being obese. References American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee,. (2013). African Americans & Cardiovascular Diseases (pp. 127:e6-e245). American Heart Association. Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31828124ad American Psychological Association,. (2015). Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Statusund. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/01/african-american.asp Food Research and Action Center,. (2010). Factors Contributing to Overweight and Obesity « Food Research & Action Center. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/what-factors-contribute-to-overweight-and-obesity/ Food Research and Action Center,. (2010). Overweight and Obesity in the U.S. « Food Research & Action Center. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/obesity-in-the-us/ Food Research and Action Center,. (2010). Why Low-Income and Food Insecure People are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity « Food Research & Action Center. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-are-low-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-to-obesity/ Institute for Research on Poverty,. (2015). Who is poor? | Institute for Research on Poverty | University of Wisconsin–Madison. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://www.irp.wisc.edu/faqs/faq3.htm National Association of County and City Health Officials,. (2015). Community Health Assessment and Improvement Planning | NACCHO. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://www.naccho.org/topics/infrastructure/CHAIP/ Office on Womens Health,. (2010). Overweight and obesity | womenshealth.gov. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://womenshealth.gov/minority-health/african-americans/obesity.html#pubs Penn Medicine,. (2011). Primary Care-based Weight Intervention Helps Obese Patients Reduce Weight, Penn Study Shows. Retrieved from http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2011/11/obese-power-up/ Seligson, S. (2010). Diabetes Risk in Black Women: Where You Live | BU Today | Boston University.BU Today. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://www.bu.edu/today/2010/diabetes-risk-in-black-women-where-you-live/ Suppversity,. (2014). "Training in the Zone", Does it Work, After All? Middle-Aged Women Lose 8% Fat in 10 Weeks, Effortlessly. Plus: Weight Loss & Gain Patterns in African Americans - SuppVersity: Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/11/training-in-zone-does-it-work-after-all.html Zimmerman, R. (2012). Why Are 4 Out Of 5 Black Women Obese, Overweight?. commonhealth. Retrieved 14 February 2015, from http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/11/why-are-four-out-of-five-black-women-obese Read More