The Silent Killer: You Are What You Eat
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar are still killing the black community at a disproportionate rate. These diseases are not hereditary, but the recipes get passed down from generation to generation.
For years, there was a narrative that diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure “ran in the family”.
Now that we know that is a myth, it is time to figure out what the problem is.
Soul food, southern food, country food, or whatever you choose to call it is ultimately bad for us. Fried chicken, veggies cooked with pork and even pork itself is killing the black community.
It’s Not Just What You Eat, but How much
Think back to a time when you were younger at Sunday or Thanksgiving dinner. You or one of your cousins would eat a lot of food and the family would boil it down to the “growing”. While this may be true, piling up on the carbs and fried foods is a bad idea no matter what age you are.
Overeating at a young age can be the beginning of a hard unhealthy life consisting of being overweight, obese, out of shape, and unhappy. This may seem harsh and over the top for some, but when you look at the numbers you will soon see something has to be done.
76 percent of Black people are overweight according to the U.S. Department of Health. This is because of not only what we eat, but how much we eat.
Food is a nostalgic feeling of holidays, birthdays, and any celebration you can think of in the Black community. A more strategic method of health education can be the start of healthier black people in America.