Causes of Obesity: Culture

 

Most people are overweight or obese because they eat too much of the wrong foods and don't exercise enough.  When I think about typical, mainstream American fare, pizza, burger, French fries, hot dogs, beer and soda come to mind.  Notice I said "mainstream."  When I think of the eating habits of African Americans, two things come to mind.  There are other factors but for the purpose of this post, I will focus on two.

Food Prep

Look at any soul food menu worth its grain of salt, no pun intended, and you'll find "greens" (mostly collards, mustards occasionally), yams (sweet potatoes), string beans, cabbage, beans (black-eyed peas, pintos), corn bread, chicken, turkey and fish.  These are healthy foods and most African Americans love them- myself included!  The problem is the way in which these foods are prepared. 

 

For instance, although the use of pork meat and fat (fat back) when cooking vegetables and beans is not as widespread, many still use it to enhance the flavor of food.  A healthier option would be turkey meat or turkey bacon.

 

Excessive use of sugar and butter can lead to weight gain.  The yam is an excellent source of vitamins and because of its naturally sweet flavor, it tastes great plain.   But a common soul food yam recipe calls for sugar, butter and even marshmallows.  Sugar provides empty calories which can lead to weight gain.  Read more about sugar

 

Chicken and fish are great sources of protein when baked, broiled, steamed and eaten without the (chicken) skin.  However, the prep method of choice among many African Americans is frying.

 

Portion size & balance of meals

Like most Americans, African Americans struggle with portion sizes.  The proper serving size of meat is palm-sized but it is common for folks to eat two to three times that amount in one sitting.

 

Finally, the average soul food meal is carb dominant and I am not referring to the vegetables.  A typical meal might include multiple servings of macaroni and cheese, candied yams, corn bread plus dessert; peach cobbler anyone?  The healthier option is to double the amount of vegetables, include a lean protein source and a small serving of pasta, bread, rice, etc.

 

Coming Soon…The exercise factor!

Childhood Obesity: Causes

When I was a kid, eating out was a treat.  My widowed mother worked full-time to make ends meet.  We didn't have a great deal of disposable income and there was no such thing as an allowance.  Our reality of eating out was a trip to the local burger chain a few times a month.  Most of the time, my mother made dinner.  Her home-cooked meals were not always the healthiest, by today's standards, but they were always balanced. 

 

I ate white bread, cheese, bacon, butter and excessive amounts of sugar for quite some time.  My saving grace: lots of physical activity.  I had recess and gym during school.  Played with friends after school.  Admittedly, I watched copious amounts of television at night but it all seemed to balance out; at least until I hit my late teens when I became more sedentary without changing my eating habits.  Eventually, I put on weight.

Most of our children are obese because they're eating too much of the wrong foods and are not getting enough exercise.   And at the core of the matter are issues of accessibility, convenience and culture.  As a society, we have unprecedented access to fast food restaurants and convenience stores.  Low-income and urban neighborhoods tend to have a disproportionate number of fast food chains and convenience stores specializing in fried foods, burgers and high-calorie snacks.      

While access to fast and junk food is high, the availability of healthier food options, whole foods, fruits and vegetables is limited, especially in lower-income neighborhoods.  It comes as no surprise to me that low-income black and Hispanic children have higher rates of obesity than children of other ethnic groups. 

 

Cost as a Barrier

Research done at the University of Washington a few years ago found that calorie for calorie, junk foods cost less than fruits and vegetables.  "If you have $3 to feed yourself, you are going to gravitate toward foods which give you the most calories per dollar…Not only are the empty calories cheaper, but healthy foods are becoming more and more expensive.  Vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury good," said Dr, Adam Drewnowski, lead research author. 

 

I concur.  I love Whole Foods (WFs) but it wasn't nicknamed "Whole Paycheck" for nothing. And it's not just WFs, organic fruit and vegetables, free-range and grass-fed meats, non-genetically modified foods, wild-caught fish, and foods free of high fructose corn syrup, antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial sweeteners and preservatives are more expensive where ever you can find them.

Coming up on Friday….Part 3: A look at culture

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