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Introduction - Annual Black Health & Fitness Section - Brief Article
Ebony, July, 2002 by Lucille C. Norville Perez
THE state of health in the African-American community is, unfortunately, not good. If I were a teacher filling out a report card, I would give an overall grade of C-minus--with some areas receiving D's or F's, and few, if any A's. Why the dismal results? We eat too much of the wrong foods, exercise too little or inconsistently, and don't have medical exams on a routine basis. In short, we are not incorporating proven, preventive measures that could substantially improve our health status.
Compared to White America, we are 40 percent more likely to die of heart disease; 80 percent more likely to die of stroke; six times more likely to die from complications from asthma. Cancer is more prevalent and more likely to be fatal among African-Americans. Epilepsy is 50 percent more common in our communities; adult onset diabetes is 70 percent more common. Fetal alcohol syndrome is six times more prevalent among Blacks, and suicide rates among African-American youth have increased by 105 percent since 1980. The incidence of HIV is growing faster among African-Americans than any other racial group in the United States.
At the National Medical Association, we are establishing partnerships with religious institutions, sororities, fraternities, business organizations and neighborhood groups to help bring health case where people are. Through a variety of outreach programs and activities, we are working to make medical checkups and screenings more available and affordable. We want patients to benefit from newer facilities, better-trained medical personnel, and access to clinical trials and innovative drugs.
Building a healthy community is not a one-shot deal. It requires initiatives that are consistent and pervasive. The bottom line is that we can either help or hinder our own personal health status--and that of the African-American community at large.
What grade would you make on the report card?
COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group
