Diabetes Increasing in African-Americans and Other Groups

Many groups in the U.S. and around the world are developing diabetes at a faster rate today than they were 5 years ago. But, African-Americans are more likely to develop diabetes at more than twice the rate of other groups! 

                    

More importantly, even with all the latest information available about controlling and reversing diabetes with diet and exercise, many African-Americans prefer to remain diabetic while embracing fast foods and diabetic drugs.

Why? To sum it up in one word, some African-Americans are D.E.A.D. emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.

Warning: If you are overly-sensitive about these types of issues, do not read this web page. 

African-Americans Are D.E.A.D.  But They Don't Know It! 

Many people in the U.S. (including African-Americans) have increased their annual consumption of fast food from places such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken -- even though most people know that these foods are bad for them. So, what's the real issue here?  Economics? Time? Convenience? Addiction? Lack of Motivation? Laziness? Lack of Knowledge? TV Marketing targeted at blacks? 

 

In recent years, fast food has grown to be a staple in many American diets; however, the percentage of African Americans that are consuming fast food products far outnumbers the percentage of other races. “African Americans between the ages of 20 and 39 were shown to have the most fast food in their diet when compared with their Caucasian and Hispanic counterparts, as one-fifth of their calorie intake came from quick service restaurants”, reports Afro.com.

                                  

This is alarming, especially considering that the country has slowly been shifting towards more healthy options. Many African Americans attribute their alarming support of unhealthy fast food to the higher price of healthier food choices or not having the time to prepare daily home cooked meals. “Fast food is quick and I don’t have time to cook with my lifestyle. I’ve gained weight but I think it’s because I’ve been less active physically since I graduated. I don’t even like fast food that much but it’s convenient”, said Kelli Williams, a 24 year old lab technician. This is understandable but there are much healthier fast food choices that are reasonably priced.

I See Dead People
Unfortunately, many people including African-Americans are D.E.A.D. inside -- they have become new version of "The Walking Dead". They may be alive physically, but, they're D.E.A.D. emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.

Warning: Don't read the following if you are easily offended. These are the facts. Instead of getting offended, do something about it -- become a health advocate for your family.

D.E.A.D. stands for:

Denial or Dead Foods: Some African-Americans live in denial of what's happening to their health, eating dead foods and relying on drugs and doctors; and, telling you to "Talk to the hand".  They deny the seriousness of the disease by referring to diabetes as "a little sugar problem".

Some African-Americans deny that they have diabetes because they are ashamed of being diabetic. They deny that they need to change their lifestyle or eating habits due to the lack of knowledge. They deny that their poor eating habits is going to catch up with them and lead to diabetes and obesity.


Some African-Americans have the heads in the sand. They deny that they're fat and overweight by using terms such as "big-boned" or "thick" to rationalize that they're really not fat or obese. Really! They deny that their parents, siblings,  and other relatives have diabetes or have died from diabetes.  

Many African-Americans continue to eat a lot of "dead" processed foods that lead to diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. A life of denial makes life very difficult and leads to disaster -- physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

Ego: The egos of some African-Americans make them believe that "they're special" and that they won't become diabetic. Their egos prevent them from humbling themselves to address their ignorance and get educated about nutrition and disease. Other African-Americans don't believe that there's someone more intelligent than them that can actually help them. This is part of the "self-hate" complex that blacks have about themselves. Of course, blacks deny that this complex exists, but studies indicate otherwise, i.e the black-white doll Clark study.

Apathy or Ashamed: Some African-Americans are apathetic, giving up and accepting the fact that there is nothing that they can do to prevent diabetes or successfully fight their diabetes. Unfortunately, with apathy comes a lack of hope and sense of hopelessness that permeates throughout  many African-American families. 

In addition, some African-Americans are ashamed of being diabetic, which allows the disease to spread silently from generation to generation. 

When African-Americans are confronted with this reality of apathy and shame, many of them become angry and tend to complain and attack people like the author, who ironically has the solution to their problem. Other African-Americans are weak emotionally or lack the emotional support from family and  friends. Some are weak-minded and lack the discipline and will power to even want to fight the disease. Others love eating the toxic, fattening fast foods from McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. 

Also, it's easier to drive to KFC  and pickup some chicken and mash potatoes than it is to steam some vegetables and bake some wild salmon at home. In addition, on the surface, it appears to many African-Americans that KFC and McDonald's are a lot cheaper than wild salmon and extra virgin olive oil -- but, many African-Americans forget about the high medical costs associated with being diabetic.

Disbelief: Some African-Americans live in disbelief that someone could actually reverse their diabetes after being so close to death -- due to their lack of knowledge about science and disease. In addition, they don't believe that they can successfully fight and reverse their diabetes -- especially if they've seen it happen to a parent or other relative.

As a result, they don't do the research to find out that thousands of people have actually defeated their diabetes. Others are shocked when their doctor tells them that they're diabetic. Some African-Amerians expect God to solve their health problems, when God has already told them what to do! (in the Bible). God also sends messengers, but some African-Americans ignore the messengers.

Note: To counteract being D.E.A.D., African-Americans and others have to become A.L.I.V.E. Read the next section for more details.

African-Americans Can Become A.L.I.V.E.!

Instead of being D.E.A.D., African-Americans can become A.L.I.V.E.

A.L.I.V.E. stands for the following:
Accountable and Active: African-Americans must become more accountable and responsible for their own health and. Some African-Americans need to stop blaming others and using negative energy to put others down.

In addition, African-Americans must become more active, and exercise on a consistent basis. Being active means more than just exercising for 30 minutes a day! Being active has to become an integral part of living each day.

Being active is a mindset, where you look for creative ways to move, i.e. walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator; walking on your treadmill or using your elliptical machine while watching TV or talking on the phone; shoveling the driveway, mowing the lawn, gardening. African-Americans must also "accept" the fact that they have a serious problem (diabetes) -- because that's the first step in solving a problem: recognizing that you have a real serious problem -- not "just a little sugar problem". African-Americans must also become more aware of what's happening to their health, the food, and the drugs; and, how this lack of awareness will affect their children and their children's children.

Live Foods: African-Americans must value life and learn to love eating "live" foods while eating a lot less "dead" foods in order to fight the diabetes, obesity, or other illness. "Live" foods include vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, plant oils, whole grains, and filtered water.  

When African-Americans learn how to live, they will find their calling, their passion and their purpose in life -- which will bring and joy and fulfillment throughout the family and community.  They must embrace the life that is calling them, and use that life to embrace the world.

Intelligent: African-Americans must recognize that true knowledge is power; and, that they must acquire that power to become more intelligent. They can become more intelligent by taking classes and doing their own research on nutrition, disease, and drugs. 

A good way to start the education process is to get several books on diabetes, wellness, and nutrition, including the book Death to Diabetes. Once they acquire the knowledge, they won't give up and they'll realize that there is something that they can do to prevent diabetes or successfully reverse their diabetes. 

ln addition, they must invest the time and be insistent with their family and doctor that they really want to change.

Value or Visionary: African-Americans must recognize that they have value and that they matter. And, since they matter, they must value their own health instead of taking it for granted and contaminating it with dead food and drugs. African-Americans must be visionary and see beyond just today, and realize that a long-term commitment to a healthy lifestyle will provide many rewards in the future. It will also send a positive message to their children, who learn their (good and bad) habits from their parents. That's how diabetes is passed from one generation to the next! -- poor eating habits and lifestyle! African-Americans must also be vigorous in their commitment to seek and acquire the knowledge to improve their health and financial well-being.

Effort, Enthusiasm, Energy and Empowerment: African-Americans must make the effort to change their lifestyle and eating habits with enthusiasm and energy, and use a lot of  emotion and passion to drive those changes.  

With this effort  enthusiasm, and energy, African-Americans will feel empowered and finally in control of their lives.  This, in turn will lead them to find their true passion and purpose in life. 

They must also have a certain amount of positive ego reinforced with supreme confidence and commitment to fight the establishment and the doctors, who will continue to push the drugs. 

Note: For more information, read the Death to Diabetes web pages about purpose in life, success, spirituality, and support. 

Disease Statistics for Black America

Health Conditions: In 2010, the death rate for African Americans was higher than Whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide. 

Cancer  Facts

• In 2009, African American men were 1.5 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African American men were twice as likely to have new cases of stomach cancer as non-Hispanic white men.
• African Americans men had lower 5-year cancer survival rates for lung and pancreatic cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2009, African American men were 2.5 times as likely to die from prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2009, African American women were 10% less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were 34% more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white women.
• African American women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with stomach cancer, and they were 2.4 times as likely to die from stomach cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white women.
• Blacks have approximately 30 to 40% more cancer and in some cases a 250% higher death rate than Whites.
• Life expectancy for Black men is 68.6 years old compared to 75.0 for White men (6.4 year difference) and Black women are 75.5 versus 80.2 for White women (4.7 Year Difference) This is a "six year discrepancy" for men and almost a "five year discrepancy" for women.

Diabetes Facts

• African American adults were 1.9 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
• In 2009, African American men were 2.2 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2009, diabetic African Americans were 1.9 times as likely as diabetic Whites to be hospitalized.
• In 2009, African Americans were 2.3 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.

Heart Disease Facts

• In 2009, African American men were 32% more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African Americans were 1.45 times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have high blood pressure.
• African American women are 1.9 times as likely as non-Hispanic white women to be obese.

HIV/AIDS Facts

• Although African Americans make up only 13% of the total U.S. population, they accounted for 47% of HIV/AIDS cases in 2006.
• African American males had more than 7 times the AIDS rate of non-Hispanic white males.
• African American females had more than 21 times the AIDS rate of non-Hispanic white females.
• African American men were more than 9 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white men.
• African American women were more than 20 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white women.

Immunization Facts

• In 2009, African Americans aged 65 and older were 40% less likely to have received the influenza (flu) shot in the past 12 months, compared to non-Hispanic whites of the same age group.
• In 2009, African American adults aged 65 and older were 30% less likely to have ever received the pneumonia shot, compared to non-Hispanic white adults of the same age group.
• Although African American children aged 19 to 35 months had comparable rates of immunization for hepatitis, influenza, MMR, and polio, they were slightly less likely to be fully immunized, when compared to non-Hispanic white children.

Infant Mortality Facts

• In 2005, African Americans had 2.3 times the infant mortality rate of non-Hispanic whites.
• African American infants were almost four times as likely to die from causes related to low birth weight, compared to non-Hispanic white infants.
• African Americans had 1.8 times the sudden infant death syndrome mortality rate as non-Hispanic whites.
• African American mothers were 2.6 times as likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the 3rd trimester, or not receive prenatal care at all.
• The infant mortality rate for African American mothers with over 13 years of education was almost three times that of Non-Hispanic White mothers in 2004.

Stroke Facts

• African American adults are twice as likely than their White adult counterparts to have a stroke.
• African American males were 60% more likely to die from a stroke than their White adult counterparts.
• Analysis from a CDC health interview survey reveals that African American stroke survivors were more likely to become disabled and have difficulty with activities of daily living than their non-Hispanic white counterparts.

Note: The above information can also be applied to other groups in America and around the world.