Tonight BET showed it's second episode of the Cousin Jeff Chronicles, the topic was obesity in the African-American community. They documented a teenage girl who weighed over three hundred pounds, and her family. Some of the things that were said during this show really hit me. When the girl's mother was talking about her weight problem she said something along the lines of "Well, if I would've known that she had these genes, I would've never fed her cookies. I wasn't like the caucasian mothers that fed their children carrot sticks". Then they said how the way Blacks in the country is cultural thing. Fried pork, fried chicken have been staples foods in our community. I believe this is true, but how long can this be an excuse?
It's know that eating too many fried foods, food high in sugar, etc is unhealthy. So why do we continue to eat them in bulk? Why aren't there more health food stores in Black communities. How come when you walk into the supermarket the first things that greet you are cookies, chips, soda, sandwiches?
It's so funny that the commercials played in between the show were for Coke, and Fanta sodas..
I guess a healthy lifestyle has to start in the home, but if a parents wasn't taught how to live healthy how will they teach their children? Is school the next step? I remember being in junior high school and not playing during phys. ed., me and my friends would just talk. Sometimes I really wanted to play, but I felt so self-conscious that I didn't. In high school, physical education was MANDATORY, I didn't over exert myself if I didn't have to...
What is the solution?!
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I caught the replay of this on Sunday and I really felt for that young girl. Her mom looked to be supportive but her stepdad was a bastard. And to not only be overweight and dealing with those issues but to be on all those drugs for depression and what not too was really sad.
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