Obesity in Black American Women Essay

acculturation, Biology and Lifestyle consider got Forty Nine Percent of dark-skinned Ameri potty Women to be round Abstract. corpulency is a major factor in wellness to mean solar daytimetime. Certain ethnic free radicals and genders acquit from corpulency more(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) than others. Around 49% of all sinister Ameri set up women be classified obese today. There ar many reasons for this. further the three the melanise Ameri skunk women argon susceptible to be refinement, lifestyle and biota. Forty nine percent of erosive Ameri burn down women atomic number 18 obese. This is an anywhere representation compared to 38% of Latina women and 33% of non-Hispanic n fertilize women. (Phelan, Johnson, Wesley).Many factors determine a whatever bes pack and health status. Economics, lifestyle, food, culture, biology and society all affect a someones be surface of it and paper. Culture, biology and lifestyle r individually the lar gest violation on wherefore bare American women are obese. Health, economic and societal implications of corpulency are overwhelming and affect every person in this country. The checkup confederacy defines corpulency as having a clay Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or gr consumeer. BMI is simply a comparison of saddle to height. The actual formula is fish down in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.A BMI of greater than 25 notwithstanding slight than 30 is considered over encumbrance and a BMI of greater than 40 is considered morbidly obese. BMI is a comparison of weight to height, not productive to height. BMI is a useful tool for just about of the population, but does not work sound for heavily muscled people, such as trunk builders. Fat is damaging to health. Muscle is not. The world-wide population knows that fleshiness executes diabetes and heart problems. But obesity is much more unforgiving than that. corpulency causes health problems that many influen ce eye opening. obesity causes hardening of the arteries, change magnitude cholesterol and cardiac failure.In amplification to damaging the heart and arteries obesity causes cancer. twenty dollar bill percent of all cancer link up deaths in women are attributed to obesity (Dixon). lambert percent of all Type II diabetes patients are obese. (Dixon). fleshiness is associated with increased fortune of metabolic syndrome and padty liver ailment (Kogiso, Moriyoshi and Nagahara). corpulency causes many more not so well know, but excuse very concerning health issues. Thirty unrivalled percent of all arthritis patients are obese. (Dixon). sixty three percent of women who suffer from degenerative joint disease are obese (Dixon).Obese women manoeuver a 37% increased hazard of depression (Stunkard). corpulency can cause infertility and pregnancy complications (Phelan, Edelman). It even can reduce the imprintiveness of birth control. Obese people are three multiplication more a pt to suffer from eternal rest apnea (Visscher, Seidell). And for the real shocker, 300,000 deaths per category in the fall in States alone are attributed to obesity fleshiness is only second to smoking in preventable deaths per year in the US. (Visscher, Seidell). The reasons to the highest degree one-half of all dark women in the US are obese are complex and many.We can point our dactyl at economics, lifestyle, society, biology, diet, culture. Culture, lifestyle and biology are the primary reasons 49% of coloured women in the US are obese. Studies pack shown that culture can have a intelligent effect on be sizing. several(prenominal)(prenominal) studies have effect that the sick American population has a preference for bigger body size (Johnson). Portia Johnson, in her article, studious Perspectives on fleshiness in Black American Women, references a 2002 bailiwick that shows that African American men prefer African American women with a large body size.The same root too cites a 2006 aim that shows that African American women bring up a model of health that speaks to the Black womens cultural belief that a larger body size is ideal (Johnson). African women likewise have a preference for larger bodies. A 2006 study on ethnic Zulus, Zulu migrants to London, and Anglo Londoners show a preference for larger body size by the Zulu migrants and the ethnic Zulus (Brewis 88). Each player in were shown gray scale images of women of known BMI. The role players were asked to choose which image represented the closely healthy and attr dynamic body.The Anglo Londoners chose a BMI size of 20, the ethnic Zulus chose BMI 26 and the migrant Zulus chose a BMI of 24. Dr. James Kirby and colleagues made the interesting husking that simply victuals in a community with 25% or more non-Hispanic melanises increases ones appetency of being overweight (Kirby et al). in like manner Dr. Kirby discovered that living in a community of 25% or more Asians decr eases a persons trend of being overweight (Kirby et al). Kirby surmises this is due to the availability of healthy nutrition, parks, sidewalks and recreation facilities in for each one community.Kirby ground that a predominance of depressed Americans live in communities with fewer unpaid facilities, gyms, parks and fewer choices of healthy forage than other ethnicities. The same study also plunge more prodigal food restaurants and convenience food stores in predominately black and Hispanic American communities. Perhaps the almost convincing evidence is in the run-in of African American women. In her article Voices from the internal African American Womens Perspectives on Healthy Lifestyles Jill Rowe interviewed African American women on healthy lifestyles and food choices. angiotensin converting enzyme woman explains eating in African American culture as Its almost like every person in my family has something they cook real penny-pinching and I dont indispensability t o hurt anybodys feelings. When you go to your florists chrysanthemums house, Ive always de componented to the refrigerator. Thats how African Americans show their love. From the birthday parties, to when you have company. My family, when were happy we eat. When were sad, we eat. We eat when were married, we eat when were born, we eat when we die. Its always, whos convey the fried chicken and pound cake. (Rowe) Culture can meaning(a)ly affect a persons weight.But we should also be aware that biology can affect weight too. Researchers have arrange that Black American women have a turn away Resting metabolous come out (RMR). RMR is the measure at which energy (calories) are metabolized to control organs functioning at rest. Black American women have a lower RMR than sportsmanlike or Hispanic women. This authority they burn fewer calories throughout the day and function more efficiently than white Americans making it harder to lose weight (Johnson). A 1996 study found that t he Resting Energy use of goods and services (REE) of black American women was lower than for tweed American women.The researchers measured the REE of each participant and found that the Black women had a REE of 1790 calories per day at rest, while the Caucasian women had an REE of 1949 calories per day at rest. Simply put this heart that Caucasian women burn, on average, 250 more calories per day at rest than Black American women do. This makes it harder for black women to lose weight (Johnson). Researchers have also discovered that Black Americans have an over expression of changety acid transport protein. This means that more fat is delivered to fat storage cells making it easier for Black Americans to store fat than white Americans (Barakat).Researchers have measured and found more stop subjugate body fat in Black Women compared to white women. A larger beneath the skin take aim (subcutaneous) fat level was found in Black Women as compared to white American women (Conway ). provender and class period are part of a persons lifestyle and both have a profound impact on weight and health. some(prenominal) studies have proven that Black Americans eat more odoriferous foods as compared to European Americans. Portia Johnson and colleagues cite a 2000 study on preference for sweet food amongst African Americans and European Americans.The study offered taste tests to each ethnic group and compared how each group responded to sweets. The researchers discovered that Black Americans ate more of the sweetened foods offered at various intervals during a taste test (Johnson). They conclude that African Americans could be using a sweetened food to compensate for greater sensed stress causing greater weight gain and obesity. Angelia Paschal and colleagues examined the results of a study on self-reported diet and praxis habits of African American men and women.They found that 55-75% of the women in their study rarely exercise. They also found that 76% of all p articipants did not eat the minimum daily requirements for fruit and less than half met the minimum requirements for vegetables. Not surprisingly this study reports that 62% of participants were diagnosed with hypertension and 14% were diagnosed with elevated blood sugar levels and/or diabetes (Paschal et al). A study that compared fitness of Latina American women to Black American women found analogous results. More than one-half of the women reported lovable in no regular strong-arm activity.However, the substantial variability in the number of minutes exercised per week points to the need to analyse methods to enhance the duration of personal activity. (Sanchez-Johnsen et al). contemporaries, a church based health and fitness program aimed at Black Americans, found that many of the participants did not correlate obesity with poor health. The participants in Genesis end a self-reported survey where only 16% indicated they were obese, but when clinically measured 87% were found to be overweight or obese.This indicates that participants failed to connect excess weight with medical risk, possibly due to cultural conditioning, person-to-person denial or not associating body weight with health risk (Cowart et al). It is not all gloom and doom for women of falsify in the US. Culture, biology and lifestyle are all things that can be changed or at least worked with to lose weight and gain fitness. There are several programs in this country aimed at boilersuit fitness for Black American women. The Genesis program has worked with black Americans through churches and found this combination very successful.Genesis provided health and diet education, exercise prescriptions and a motivating partner. Some of their successes include a 71% less soda consumption, fried meat consumption was reduced from 91% to 55%. The percent of respondents reporting no exercise at all went from 45% at the start of the program to 27% on the post pilot survey (Cowart et al). yet as diet, lifestyle and culture can be changed so can biology. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) can be raised by obtaining a leaner body mass as muscle is more active than fat.Withers and colleagues have turn up this with a study conducted on 49-70 year old women. Their study has found that aerobiotic training in older women increases RMR. They compared active women to non-active women and found that the active women had a importantly higher RMR. Having a body composition of more lean mass to fat mass greatly has implications for increased freedom and repaird quality of life. (Withers et al). Black American women have special challenges and considerations in weight loss and fitness.They face a culture that encourages eating and appreciates large body size, a more efficient metabolic dust that uses fewer calories at rest, a propensity for their bodies to store fat, and a lifestyle that makes diet and exercise difficult. Yet knowing these challenges is half the battle. With knowledg e, the support of the community and their family, and commitment they can overcome these challenges and reach a goal of lifetime fitness and health. Works Cited Barakat, HA. Obesity Overexpression of Fatty Acid Transport Proteins may Contribute to Obesity in Black Women. Science Letter. 7 Feb 2006. 1218. Web. 18 Feb 2013.Brewis, Alexandra. Obesity heathen and Biocultural Perspectives. New Brunswick. Rutgers University Press. (2011). Print. Conway, Joan. Ethnicity and Energy Stores. The American journal of Clinical Nutrition. 62. 5. Nov 1995. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Cowart, Luvenia. et al. invention and Pilot-Testing a Church-Based Community Program to pare Obesity among African Americans. ABNF Journal. 21. 1. (2010). 4-10. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Dixon, John. The military issue of Obesity on Health Outcomes. molecular(a) and Cellular Endocrinology. Vol. 316. Issue 2. 25 mess up 10. 104-108. Endocrine Aspects of Obesity. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Edelman, Allison.Special consume Do We Have a bother? Obesity and Contraception. OB GYN Clinical Alert. fall 2011. n. pag. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Johnson, Portia Yvonne Wesley. Scholarly Perspectives on Obesity among Black Women. ABNF Journal. 23. 3. (2012). 46-50. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Kirby, James, et. al. Race, Place, and Obesity The mixed Relationships among Community Racial/Ethnic Composition, unmarried Race/Ethnicity, and Obesity in the join States. American Journal of familiar Health. 102. 8. Aug 2012. 1572-1578. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Kogiso, Tomomi. et al. Clinical Significance with Fatty colored Associated with Metabolic Syndrome. Hepatology Research. Vol. 37. Issue 9. Sep 2007. 711-721. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Paschal, Angelia. et al. Baseline Assessment of the Heath consideration and Health Behaviors of African American dynamic in the Activities for Life Program A Community Based Health incumbrance Program. Journal of Community Health. 29. 4. Aug 2004. 305-318. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Phelan, Sharon. Obesity in the American Popu lation Calories, bell and Culture. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. hoi polloi 203, Issue 6, fall 2010. 522524. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Rowe, Jill. Voices From the Inside African American Womens Perspectives on Healthy Lifestyles. Health Education and Behavior. Vol. 37. Dec 2010. 789-800. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Sanchez-Johnsen, Lisa. et al. Ethnic Differences in Correlates of Obesity between Latin-American and Black Women. Obesity Research. 12. 4. Apr 2004. 652-660. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Stunkard, Albert. Depression and Obesity. Biological Psychology. Vol. 54 Issue 3. 1 Aug 2003. 330-337. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Visscher, Tommy, Jacob Seidell. The Public Health Impact of Obesity. Annual redirect examination of Public Health. (2001). 355-375. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Withers, RT. et al. Energy metabolic process in Sedentary and Active 49- to 70-yr-old Women. Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol.84. Apr 1998. 1333-1340. Web. 18 Feb 2013. Bibliography Brewis, Alexandra. Obesity Cultural and B iocultural Perspectives. New Brunswick. Rutgers University Press. (2011). Print. Brewis book is a must(prenominal) read for anyone studying, researching or working in health, weight management or fitness. The author takes a look at obesity from an anthropologists standpoint. Where did obesity originate? How does if effect certain races/genders more than others? These are some of the questions answered. The author has lived in distinct cultures and worked with different ethnicities obtaining answers to some of the mysteries surrounding weight gain.She has open reasons why obesity is prevalent in the coupled States and other countries. And discusses why some ethnicities are more vulnerable to weight gain after migrating to the United States or other developed nations. The author has canvas the culture of the Pima Indians of both the US and Mexico and explains why obesity affects the US Pimas more than the Mexican Pimas. Brewis also explains why some ethnicities mother larger bod y weigh delicious and why some ethnicities have larger males than females and why they find this perfectly normal. Biagioli, Brian. progress Concepts of Personal Training. study Council on fortissimo and Fitness. (2007). Print. This book was by a medical doctor. This manual of arms is applicable to anyone interested in learning more about physical fitness, nutrition, physiology, body composition and exercise mechanics. It is the subject area Council on Strength and Fitness draw off for all their certified personal flight simulator candidates. The manual contains 540 pages with many illustrations explaining obesity, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Body Mass Index (BMI) and physiology. This manual includes chapters on special populations such as women, children and special needs individuals.HBO The Weight of the Nation. HBO infotainment Films Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Health. Et al. Various actors/directors. (2007). DVD. This is a quad part documentary on obesity in America. Each part is more or less one hour long. The parts lie in of consequences, choices, children in crisis and challenges. The films explore why the United States is facing an obesity crisis, and what we can do about it now. Various health dexterouss evidence the films. Interviews are conducted with a host of citizens transaction with obesity right now.They tell in their own words the challenges they face. There is significant commentary and interview on ethnicities, females, citizens living in inner cities and the issues surrounding obesity and weight gain. The Skinny on Obesity. Perf. Robert Lustig et al. UCTV Prime. 12 Apr. 2012. Web Video. This video series plays on UCSF Prime TV online. Dr. Robert Lustig is endocrine expert at the UCSF Childrens Hospital. This is a seven-spot part series that tackles the basics of the obesity epidemic such as sugar, hormones, fast food, childhood obesity, and endocrine system. Each part is about 15 minutes lon g. provided a basic understanding of health and physiology is needed to fully understand concepts presented. Platkin, Charles. The machine-driven Diet. New York. Penguin. 2005. Print. This book discusses how to slowly improve your diet over time with little changes. Dr. Platkin holds a master of public health and is one of the nations leading(a) public health advocates. He writes The Diet Detective, a syndicated article that appears in hundreds of brand-newspapers throughout the country. His book takes the reader through infinitesimal steps of diet and lifestyle changes that unitedly create a whole new diet makeover making healthful eating simple and thus automatic.