Health & Wellness in the Black Community
Health & Wellness in the Black Community
According to the CDC, the percentage of men 20 and older in the black community with obesity is 38.7%. The percentage of women 20 and older in the black community with obesity is 55.9%
(2015-2018).
The percentage of men 20 and older with hypertension is 56.8%. The percentage of women 20 and older with hypertension is 61%
(2017-March 2020).
The percentage of adults aged 18 and older in fair or poor health is 18.7%. This number is 14.4% in white communities (2023).
The percentage of black and brown adults ages 18–64 without health insurance coverage at the time of the interview was 10.2% (2023). In white communities this is 6.8%.
The leading causes of death in black and brown communities are heart disease and cancer.
We can go over negative statistics for hours. I too was once a statistic of poor health as a black woman. I am very grateful that with the support of family and friends, nutritional education and health insurance, I was able to overcome my diagnosis. However, I know this is not the case for many black and brown people in America.
When speaking about health in the black community, I speak from personal experience. I was born, raised and currently live in one of the unhealthiest counties in America - The Bronx, NY. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that this is true. It does not seem that bad honestly. But then I remember that I am just one person and I am not the typical story of overcoming an unhealthy diagnosis. I have friends and family members that are currently going through struggles that range from high blood pressure, diabetes, migraines, PCOS, and cancer. It is heartbreaking to hear about but what is more heartbreaking is that these things are preventable!
Unfortunately, black and brown people are not a priority to the healthcare system. As the statistic above reads - more health insurance coverage is granted to white people than black people. The percentage is significant. There is no way that we should be living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and yet be experiencing such poor lifestyles.
Our health issues go beyond eating and not exercising. Black people not only deal many mental health issues. There are so many liquor stores and opportunities to buy drugs in urban communities to self-medicate instead of going to therapy. There are high pollution rates so chronic asthma has increased over the past century and there is a significant lack of education when it comes to finance, health and wellness in our schools, at our jobs and in our families. Unfortunately the list of health related issues is too extensive to go through in this blog. However, I still want to speak on a few and more importantly, offer some solutions.
Nutrition
According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, predominantly black neighborhoods have 2.4 fast food restaurants per square mile, compared to 1.5 in predominantly white neighborhoods. What is worse is that in the late 1990s, there were about 337 black-owned McDonald’s franchises in the U.S., but today there are about 186 (this pertains to financial health which we will get to later). Going back to nutrition, all of this is intentional. It is not an accident that there happens to be more fast food restaurants and less healthier options in black neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods.
America’s history with Black people has been very disturbing. Although we may not be in physical chains anymore, we are still confined to so many racial disparities today. We have to plan and travel more than 5 minutes in order to eat healthy fast food or grocery shop somewhere with fresh/organic produce at an affordable price. Many will say this is not true, but when compared with our white counterparts, it is very true. Shouldn’t there be equality when it comes to food?
Financial Health
As I mentioned above, financial health is also not something that emanates from the black community. In order to improve one’s financial health, there has to be a desire and action taken to change generations of poor financial health. I was fortunate enough to have a mother who set me up to have good credit and I still made some very poor financial decisions. If we want to be wealthy and practice good finance habits, we need to read books, seek out mentors, watch YouTube videos and pay for financial seminars to receive wisdom that is oftentimes freely given in white communities.
Mental health
Mental health issues plague the black community. I see my very own relatives struggling with mental health disorders that are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Diseases and issues such as bipolar disease, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction are just a few I have seen first hand. According to numerous studies, black people are more likely to experience mental health trauma and illnesses but less likely to report it or receive help. Black people are also more likely to have consistent mental health issues as opposed to episodic episodes experienced by white counterparts.
Physical Health
Physical health of course goes hand in hand with nutrition. When I look around my community, I see a lot of overweight people that have diabetes or issues breathing. I see a lot of people experiencing inflammation, swollen joints and severe acne due to poor eating habits. Our physical health is in jeopardy as a community and it is time we stop ignoring our issues or waiting for someone or something to save us.
The solution
There is no right or wrong solution or a one size fits all approach. However, there are some fundamental and systematic changes that we can implement to see positive changes in our community.
Start with you
Whether you are black, white or somewhere in between, one thing you can do to help communities of color that are more at risk to health issues and disease is to take care of yourself. It may sound odd, but we cannot take care of anyone else before we take care of ourselves. We can’t pour from an empty cup. Unfortunately, I see so many aunties, grandmas and mothers literally pour themselves empty trying to save or help someone else. The best and most productive thing we can do as black and brown people is to take care of ourselves. Practically, this looks like getting rest. Not just sleep but actually doing things we enjoy. This looks like setting boundaries. This looks like saying no, even to ourselves. This looks like cooking more home cooked meals not just on Sundays or holidays but throughout the week. This looks like replacing soda with water. Whatever self-love looks like to you, do more of that, starting today.
Education
As I mentioned before, there has been a significant lack of education in black and brown communities when it comes to all areas of health - physical, mental and financial. The only area we seem to have on lock is spirituality (if you know, you know). But there needs to be a balance. Health and wellness is not about just pouring into one area of our lives. It is taking a holistic approach to health - mind, body, soul. We need to start attending financial workshops so sponsors and organizations can keep hosting them. We need to prioritize our mental health over being liked or trying to fit in. We need to speak with children about things before they experience trauma or things get to a breaking point. Whether we have a professional degree or certificate to teach, we need to educate. We also need to continue to be educated. There are no more excuses. We need to be the actual change we desire to see all around.
Consistency
Some people thing consistency is doing the same thing over and over, the same exact way, every single day. However, consistency is about doing the same thing over and over when you said you will do it. It is not about having high intensity every time you show up. It’s simply about showing up and doing your best. As a community, we need to be consistent. We need to be consistent with time (stop showing up late). We need to be consistent in business (keep promises to ourselves and others). And we need to be consistent with our health (keep important things as priorities). We need to stop getting excited over things only to quit when the flame dies out. We need to keep the flame alive through consistency and discipline, not emotions and temporary excitement.
All in all, we need to grow as a community. Yes, it will be challenging. But we should focus on the part of the process that reminds us we can, not how hard it is going to be. It is hard to change, but what is worse is staying the same. We need to show up for ourselves and for future generations. Just like our ancestors did for us.