(ThyBlackMan.com) As our worlds become increasingly more overrun with stress, albeit external or internal, it is no surprise that our waistlines have become the victim. Obesity and the problems associated with it are now at epidemic levels in the black community.
According to the US Department of Health and Human services, non-Hispanic Black men and women have the highest rates of being overweight and obese (the two are not the same) than any other ethnic group in the country.
There are several factors that contribute to this. One is the faulty system of using the current body mass index as a tool for determining if a person is overweight. (That will be addressed in a later article). Still, the fact remains that our community suffers from a higher rate of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes than any other ethnic group.
The question is why.
There are the obvious culprits. Diet is at the top of the list. We are barraged with an onslaught of fast food commercials that appeal to a growing 
American appetite for excess. Who really needs a double cheese burger complete with onion rings, ample amounts of barbecue sauce, bacon, chili, a fried egg and an entire head of iceberg lettuce? And then to wash it down, here’s an ice cold gallon of a syrupy sweet sodium bomb whose spokesperson happens to be a well-known pop star who “you people” can relate to.
Studio heads couldn’t have written a better script.
For the most part all of this is already known. We all know that our diets can use an upgrade. What a lot us don’t know is that our bodies are hard-wired to crave these foods when the environment is just right.
Stress is a real killer. This cannot be emphasized enough. Stress will kill you. It sneaks in and catches a person off-guard when they least expected it. There seem to be more young people dying today for no apparent reason other than stress.
But why?
When we start to deal with stress our bodies have a very logical chemical response. For instance, if you’re in a building that catches on fire your brain sends a signal to your muscles that says “lets the get heck outta here!” Likewise if you’re in a stressful emotional situation your brain may tell your muscles to avoid the situation or punch someone in the face. The chemical that is released in both of these situations is called cortisol and it is literally a life saver. It is responsible for our fight or flight reflex.
But cortisol doesn’t recognize the difference between good stress (waking up in the morning and going to work because you have bills to pay) and bad stress (living in overcrowded housing). As stress builds up our bodies lose an essential element that, unfortunately, some of us never attain.
We lack balance.
When your body is out of balance and your stress level is high, and you’re not in imminent physical danger, all of the extra cortisol that your adrenal glands produce is interpreted by your brain as “I need something sweet to eat.” Yup, the ole sweet tooth is actually a chemical reaction to stress. Many people soothe their sweet tooth with things like ketchup, barbecue sauce, sugary sweet drinks (see sodas and fruit drinks) and lots of deserts. And science has proven that, as we age, most of the weight that we gain as a result of our diets goes right to our midsection.
Creating balance in your life doesn’t mean that you have to quit these things cold turkey. It simply means that you should find time to walk or exercise for at least 20-40 minutes per day, drinking more water and eating better. Re-training your taste buds may take a lot less time than paying for expensive medical bills. A simple change can have a profound effect on our overall health prognosis and can change the health trajectory of our future generation.
Staff Writer; Steven Robinson
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