HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL CHALLENGES FACING AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 41
(House of Representatives - March 07, 2019)
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[Page H2508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL CHALLENGES FACING AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for 5 minutes.
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, which prepared this statement for me in
acknowledgement of Black History Month.
Minority populations, especially the African American population,
continue to remain in relatively poor health when compared to the
majority population and also continue to be underserved by the
healthcare delivery system.
One of the biggest health challenges facing our country today is
obesity, and the African American community is especially at risk. In a
2015-2016 study by the CDC, the report found non-Hispanic Black adults,
at 46.8 percent, had a higher prevalence of obesity than non-Hispanic
White adults, which was 37.9 percent.
Compared to other States, Illinois' obesity rate is a significant
area of concern, with 31 percent of adults having obesity. This
statistic is higher than the U.S. median.
Illinois has the 27th highest adult obesity rate in the Nation and
the 7th highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. Chicago's African
American community is the demographic with the highest obesity rate at
39.8 percent.
With such a high percentage of the African American community falling
in the obese category, this demographic runs a higher risk for obesity-
related conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes,
and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of
preventable, premature death.
Compared to the general population, African Americans are
disproportionately affected by diabetes. African Americans constitute
more than 35 percent of all patients receiving dialysis treatment for
kidney failure but only represent 13.2 percent of the overall U.S.
population.
High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure
among African Americans and remains the leading cause of death due to
its link with heart attacks and strokes.
With these troubling statistics, where do we go from here? Awareness,
education, and access are the keys to changing our Nation's health, and
food and nutrition practitioners play a very important role in leading
the health revolution.
Obesity is partially attributed to poor nutritional intake and has
been implicated as a contributor to cancer, heart disease, stroke, and
diabetes.
Food and nutrition practitioners have an opportunity and an ethical
obligation to positively influence the healthcare experience of
individuals. These experts have the power to influence factors
affecting health disparities at the individual and the population
levels, including programs such as SNAP, WIC, adult care food programs,
and other nutrition programs.
By connecting with individuals who are most at risk, food and
nutrition practitioners can make a huge change when it comes to the
health of African Americans, as well as the health of all Americans.
I thank the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for preparing this
information for me.
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