The hip-hop community felt the immediate impact from the passing of A Tribe Called Quest member, Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor. The untimely death took one of hip hop's greatest voices. The community has also been shaken recently by the passing of the famous hip-hop DJ, Big Kap, who died in February of 2016. He also suffered from diabetes like his Big Apple brethren, Phife. Diabetes has rocked the hip-hop world, but the vibrations hopefully have sent a message to the rest of our men across the nation.
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Black Men & Diabetes
Black people suffer disproportionately from diabetes. In fact, we're 1.7 times more likely to develop the disease in comparison to Whites according to the American Diabetes Association. Despite the gloomy information many leading experts say that Black men do have a few answers for the looming question, “How can Black men stop diabetes?”
Certified Diabetes Educator, Dacia Bryant, believes that Black men have a say concerning the disease that’s taken the lives of greats like Sugar Ray Robinson and Curtis Mayfield to name a few. It starts with education, with openness and understanding from two parties.
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“It’s a two way street. Black men have to be ready to receive the information and we in the professional community have to be competent of cultural beliefs, food insecurities and financial constraints," said Bryant.
Culturally, the stigma of “having a disease” and distrust of the medical community leave Black men at odds with their health. Black men have been used as guinea pigs for the purposes of medical advancement for centuries, dating back to the inhumane and cruel experimentation practices started in slavery. The bodies of Black people have long been used as specimen for larger causes. Ta-Nehisi Coates reminds his Black son of this in his critically acclaimed book, “Between the World and Me.”
“In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage,” Coates wrote.
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The second step towards Black men decreasing their chances of developing diabetes is early detection (pre-screening). Some brothers just won’t go to the doctor until it’s too late. Too late is what many experts are worrying about. Diabetes often shows subtle signs and then before you know it, it's there attacking your body.In an interview with BlackDoctor.org, Bryant explained, “The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) website has invaluable resources and tools for diabetes prevention and management. The risk test is a noninvasive tool to begin the conversation about diabetes. The test contains 7 questions and it evaluates the risk of developing diabetes. The ADA also lists community diabetes education programs, some specifically tailored for African American churches, meal planning guidelines and guidance on increasing physical activity. “
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President Obama has also joined the crusade for early detection which will benefit Black men all over America.
The Obama administration has proposed expanding Medicare to include payment for certain “lifestyle change programs” for those with pre-diabetes.
The change in the health care system from reactive to proactive is necessary to control the runaway health care costs.
Senior Health Educator/Lifestyle Coach, Natasha Coleman, says that brothers can decrease their chances of developing the disease by not only early detection, but also exercise and better food choices. Coleman speaks to the men from experience. Her 200 pound weight loss has received national recognition from The Steve Harvey Show and Essence Magazine. She says things like cutting back on soda, drinking fresh juices, eliminating processed sugar and fried food all together worked. But the last component is, of course, exercise.
Studies have shown that exercising combined with a healthy diet are great first steps toward lowering your risk of diabetes She recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week to aid in losing 5-7% of your body fat. Her belief is that concentrating on your health and not the actual weight loss is a great strategy for overcoming diabetes and lowering your risk.
“If we concentrate on our health, weight loss will be a result of that.”
Small incremental changes in your life could make the difference according to the coach. Weight loss is something that Coleman and Bryant agree is the key to decreasing Black men’s risk of diabetes. They encourage Black men to lead more active lifestyles full of exercise which will aid in the weight loss and also watching their calorie intake on a daily basis. That means asking for grilled chicken and maybe not that crispy fried we love so much. Small changes make the difference.
I challenge brother’s to get screened for diabetes at their next check-up.
