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THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC IN AFRICAN
AMERICANS IN COMPARISON TO
WHITES IN MASSACHUSETTS
Anh Vo & Bryan Josue Paula Gonzalez
What is Obesity?
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Obese = Having Body Mass Index>30.0
Occurs if you have too much body fat
BMI>40.0 = MORBEDLY OBESE
Being Obese is NOT the same as being Overweight!
What is a health disparity?
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Health disparities are the differences between a group
of people compared to the general population.
 These differences relate to how often a group of
people get sick, how many of them are affected, and
how it affects them.
The types of people that are mainly affected by
disparities are:
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Racial and ethnic minorities
Residents of urban areas
Women, children, and the elderly
Persons with disabilities
Why Is Obesity A Disparity
Amongst African Americans?
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Population in Massachusetts
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
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2011 there
were 6,646,144 people in Massachusetts.
US Census
Bureau(2011)
Statistics Representation
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http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/adultoverweightobesity-rate-by-re/
How did this difference develop?
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
Alcohol consumption(JN, J & NK, 2011)

Accessibility to fast food(LM, 2009)

Insufficient exercise

Original causes still apply(NHLBI)

Income(LM, 2009)
Economics
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Graph found at:
Citydata.com
Economics(cont.)
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A portion of Africans
Americans have a reduced
household income. This means
that they have less money
coming into to the home.
With less money, there is less
food.
Healthy food tends to be
more expensive.
African American Women vs. White Women
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A recent study performed by Tené T.
Lewis, Ph.D, showed new information
on BMI levels.
 The purpose was to find out if
education affected the BMI of African
American and White women.
Results:
 Black and white women showed
similar BMI when they only had a high
school education
 White women in college have a lower
BMI than black women in college
-(Kriss, 2013)

Why is Obesity in MA a problem?
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Even though MA ranked third-lowest
obesity rate in the nation, obesity is still a
big issue.
 Obesity levels have doubled in the last 20
years.
 As of now, one third of children in MA are
either obese or overweight.
 Two thirds of the adult population is either
obese or overweight
 More than half of adults and 1 in 4 high
school and middle school students in
Massachusetts are overweight or obese.
-(Halpern, 2012)

Health Insurance Status
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1,088 African Americans had no health insurance as
of 2011. The population of whites had 11,876
people without health insurance.
Hold second highest rate for lack of health
insurance
Treatments
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Adults:
 Lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight
 Lose weight slowly and in a safe manner
 Keep off lost weight for 6 months
 Continue to lose weight if still obese
Tips:
 Set realistic goals
 Change life style
 Cut back on calories and start a healthy eating plan
 Last alternatives
-NHLBI
Prevention
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Increase amount of physical activity
 Keep track of weight, BMI, and waist circumference
 Reduce amount of time spent in front of TV or
computers
 Follow a healthy eating plan
-NHLBI

Bottom line
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
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Obesity is a big issue amongst African
Americans in Massachusetts
It is more likely found in those that have less
income or lower levels of education
There was a correlation found between
education levels and the levels of BMI in
women
Obesity is an epidemic in this country, but we
can stop it in the future with a well-balanced
diet and more physical activity
References
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http://www.letsmove.gov/obesity
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
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http://www.umassmed.edu/uploadedFiles/schoolservices/Pre-Matriculation_Programs/Summer_Enrichment_Programs/Julliard%20DelRosarioObesity.pdf
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http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/release.php?stateid=MA
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http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/adult-overweightobesity-rate-by-re/
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http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/mass-in-motion/obesity-stats
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http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/stateprograms/fundedstates/massachusetts.html
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http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
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http://www.usa.com/newton-ma-population-and-races.htm
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http://thegrio.com/2010/06/21/how-obesity-has-become-a-part-of-black-culture/
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JN, A., J, R., & NK, R. (2011, 08 13). Immigration, income, drinking and obesity in african american adults. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Ade JN[Author]&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=21188529
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/
LM, P. (2009, 09 28). Fast food costs and adolescent body mass index: evidence from panel data. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19732982
Boston, Massachusetts (MA) income map, earnings map, and wages data. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/income/income-BostonMassachusetts.html
Kriss, M. (2013, 07 07). Education protects white women against obesity more than african american women. Retrieved from
http://www.thealmagest.com/2013/07/education-protects-white-women-against-obesity-more-than-african-american-women/
Halpern, J. (2012, 08 22). Obesity in mass. among nation's lowest – why that's so frightening. Retrieved from
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2012/08/what-obesity-data-really-means-to-bay.html?page=all
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/behavioral-risk/report-2011.pdf
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Questions?