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Posted on 08/26/2019 4:18:54 AM PDT by robowombat
More obesity among black men who attend church often
Black men who attend church almost daily are nearly three times more likely to have obesity than those who never (or very rarely) attend, a new study shows.
Moreover, the study found health differences across denominations: Among black Americans, Catholics and Presbyterians had lower odds of diabetes than Baptists.
The obesity epidemic, like many deleterious outcomes in America, has disproportionately affected the black population, researchers say. While nearly one-third of all men and women have obesity, the rate jumps to nearly one-half (48.4%) among African Americans, putting them at greater risk for diabetesand cardiovascular disease, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Previous studies have noted a connection between religious attendance and obesity. However, the new report in the Journal of Religion and Health explores that relationship with a specific lens on black Americans who, based on a 2014 study from Pew Research Center, are more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to believe in God, consider religion important, attend church frequently, and read prayer and scripture.
Self care and Faith “Historically black churches have been a source of spiritual and social support, but greater religious engagement must also support good health behaviors,” says lead author Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, assistant professor of general internal medicine, associate director of research, and director of the health equity working group at the Cook Center at Duke University.
“Both men and women who are active members of their churches are being pulled in a lot of directions outside of their faith community, which can make self-care a lower priority than what is warranted. We want them to make faith and health priorities in their lives, rather than faith or health.”
Researchers used data from the National Survey of American Life to study the intertwining of faith behaviors and health outcomes for more than 4,300 African American and Afro-Caribbean Christians.
The findings show that black men who attend services “nearly every day”—the shortest interval tracked—were roughly three times as likely to have obesity than those never attending or attending less than once a year.
Detecting the reason for this high obesity rate—and, specifically, the negative relationship that exists for men but not women—will require further inquiry, the authors say.
Denominational Differences Researchers have begun to understand how obesity can spread through social networks. For those frequenting the church, the authors write, the space “may facilitate the transfer of obesity” through shared social norms.
The authors also built upon prior research that showed, when considering multiple races across Christian denominations and other faiths, obesity is most prevalent among Baptists. While the authors note no faith-based disparities in obesity rates in their study of black Christians, they found Baptists are significantly more likely to have diabetes than either Presbyterians or Catholics.
The researchers hope that future studies comparing other diabetes risk factors will help explain the increased prevalence of the disease among Baptists. They also posit that denominational differences in attitudes towards one’s body—for example whether one considers the body “a vessel through which members serve God”—may drive these results.
Above all, the researchers suggest the importance for greater finesse in religious health interventions, including the need to potentially tailor these strategies through faith, rather than a uniform approach.
“Although researchers and practitioners have used historically black churches as sites for health promotion initiatives, the nuances within and between denominations are often lost, which may impact the effectiveness of their programs,” Bentley-Edwards says. “We need novel understandings of the indicators that protect and diminish health outcomes.”
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities funded the work.
Written by: Lucas Hubbard-Duke
First published 15.08.19: https://www.futurity.org/church-obesity-african-american-men-religion-2133452-2/
Down here, breakfast has nothing to do with a hefty meal. LOLOL
They forgot to add that they STILL have higher life expectancy despite this than the average black man in chicago who never attends church.
I’ll go further. Perhaps lower-T men more likely to attend church—and T helps to keep fat down?
Folks that like fried chicken, potato salad, and pecan pie, evidently.
Unmentioned: ‘Coke’ use in the ‘hood leads to ‘thin men’ ...
Dang, that’s what I forgot to plant this year! Okra! My wife knows how to clean and fry them properly. Me, I have a real hard time controlling myself with fried yellow squash. Sliced paper thin, dredged through an egg wash and then through flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then deep fried in a skillet until they’re as crisp as potato chips. Mmmmmm. Now I’m making myself hungry again. LOL
That’s a good point. However, single men are usually not regular church-goers unless they’re living with a mother or grandmother. We’re back to the mother or grandmother’s providing less healthy meals, whether it’s packaged junk food or made-from-scratch Deep South meals.
That also corresponds to Fathers.
You have the girl, the job, and children. Too busy to play sports and lift.
Single guys seem to either be like me and are heavily into fitness, or they drink/drug themselves to an early grave.
I walk at a park 3 or 4 days a week.
It’s way better than indoor hamster wheel time...
I like fried green tomatoes and squash but we didn’t plant squash this year. When I cook okra I wash it and thin slice it. I wash it again to make it good and slimy and drain. I mix flour and corn meal together and coat the okra pretty heavily. Drop it in a hot skillet, salt and pepper it, and fry until almost burned, but not burned. That way you cook away all of the slime and it’s crispy. I do use a good healthy oil to fry it in but any oil is loaded with calories. If I fry squash I do it the same way you do.
“There’s a saying in the gym/fitness community,”You can’t out train a bad diet.””
Mike Chen Disagrees. The guy works out 4 or 5 hours a day so he can eat like this
Among Methodists it does. We have coffee and doughnuts after every service as well as occasional potluck lunches and Sunday night movies with hot dogs.
So, obesity is racist! We must get Al Sharpton to fight this as he successfully overcame this racist disease!
I (we) kind of scaled back this year due to multiple reasons, so the big things we went in on is Roma tomatoes, bush cukes, and winter (spaghetti) squash. We love spaghetti squash because of the versatility. The vines have also taken over everything within ten feet of them. LOL
I have a handyman I call on occasionally. He's black and seriously bverweight. He attaches himself to every church he can find. Free food and a smorgasbord of odd jobs to pick from, whenever he needs a little cash. He'll talk like a Baptist, a Catholic, or a Mormon if that's who's holding the ladle. So he's not exactly a churchgoer, he's more of a church kitchen goer. I've volunteered at mine, and delivered meals to the homebound. The poor are fat! Too many loaves and not enough fish ;)
Anyway, many of them congregate downstairs more than upstairs.
Let me know how he feels and looks in twenty years.
Sample size of n=1 is meaningless.
You/we also don’t know what he truly does day to day.
Obviously the guy is busy with all of his YouTube channels.
More power to him.
Lived on Long Island for forty years, and had a vegetable garden. My son recently recounted having someone at the house from the South - and her reaction to learning that we had fried okra!But it’s a marginal crop to grow that far north, I grew some near Washington DC one summer and was amazed at the productivity of it. Well - I’m told it’s a relative of cotton . . .
Don’t garden anymore, but here in central PA we have Amish farmer’s markets that sell fresh okra in season.
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