Better Nutrition Promoting the Health of African Americans
Obesity is one of the most serious problems facing the American population today. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 62 percent of all Americans are overweight, putting them at increased risk for developing diabetes, heart problems, cancer and many other illnesses.
Culturally specific health issues
In addition to the alarming obesity epidemic sweeping the country–and the world–African Americans face their own culturally specific health issues and challenges. The African- American diet can often be high in sodium and low in potassium, two major contributing factors to hypertension, and it may not include many fresh fruits or vegetables.
Staggering statistics
African Americans suffer diabetes twice as often as Caucasians and have a much greater probability of developing diabetic complications such as kidney failure, visual impairment and amputations. Furthermore, according to an article in the June issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, African Americans are three times as likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasian Americans. This means one in every 13 African Americans will develop a disorder of the kidney that will be fatal without dialysis or a renal transplant.
The high incidence of strokes is another health concern in the African-American community, especially among African-American women, according to the April issue of the journal, Stroke. Additionally, African Americans are 30 percent more likely to die of cancer than Caucasians and are particularly susceptible to certain forms of cancer, such as prostate cancer.
Climbing obesity rates
While the health problems facing the African- American community affect people of all races, the prevalence of illnesses facing this ethnic group can often be directly attributed to obesity. Unfortunately, statistics estimate that 58 percent of African-American males and 67 percent of African-American women are overweight.
The role of diet
In today’s “fast-food nation” it’s a struggle to get the optimal amount of nutrients in your diet–even if you’re getting regular servings of fruits and vegetables. Grabbing a hamburger, slice of pizza or sugar-laden snack out of the vending machine is often easier than finding a healthy food choice, but the consequences are increasing numbers on the scale and health problems that are the result of a high-fat, high-calorie diet.
Herbalife–the total nutrition solution
The good news is that Herbalife can help through our nutrition products. It has been proven that weight loss and exercise can reverse diabetes and that weight loss and dietary modifications can reduce blood pressure. We’ve had 22 years of success offering weight-management and nutritional products that can help address many of these health concerns and provide a lifetime of well-being.
Training and education
In addition to offering a wide range of nutritional and targeted products, Herbalife also has training tools including a newly created African-American Wellness Brochure (#6300). This comprehensive brochure educates customers and Distributors about the impact of diet on disease, how to make healthy food choices, how to use low-fat culinary substitutions and also includes several weight-loss testimonials. Herbalife can help African Americans focus their thinking on the important role diet plays in achieving overall health.
Working together
Whatever your specific needs, there is an Herbalife product to help you live your life to the fullest and conquer the challenges facing good health for African Americans. Successful lifestyle change depends on developing a community for educating, supporting and helping each other. We at Herbalife are here to help you learn all about nutrition to help achieve health and wellness for a lifetime.
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