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Health Care Advocates Unveil Historic Obesity Bill of Rights

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Contrary to the common biases of people with chronic obesity, Dr. Fatima Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist and staunch supporter of the Obesity Bill of Rights, told The Informer that beyond poor eating habits, pathophysiology explains the root of chronic obesity, as food intake is regulated in the brain.
The post Health Care Advocates Unveil Historic Obesity Bill of Rights first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 months ago

February 19, 2024

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By Lindiwe Vilakazi | Washington Informer

In efforts to create a supportive ecosystem for people facing chronic obesity nationwide, an influential collection of public health groups, aging experts, and leading consumer advocates introduced the Obesity Bill of Rights. The goal of the bill is to protect the dignity and autonomy of those battling obesity.

Spearheaded by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) alongside the National Consumers League (NCL), the initiative sets a plan of action to reframe obesity care in employer, federal, and state policies. Inspired by a yearlong effort of research and community feedback, the Obesity Bill of Rights is a landmark effort in targeting how the healthcare industry and legislators alike will address the chronic yet commonly undiagnosed disease.

“Our aim with the Obesity Bill of Rights is to designate quality obesity care as the inherent right of all adults, empowering those with the disease to demand unbiased treatment, regardless of their size or weight,” Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, said in a statement.

The legislative proposal outlines eight key fundamental rights designed to ensure proper care and protection for individuals with obesity, including proper diagnosis, screening, counseling, and sufficient treatment under medical guidelines, while obliterating ageism and weight bias across the healthcare system.

Statistics show that out of 108 million adults who are living with obesity, only 30 million have been diagnosed, and only 2% of those individuals who are eligible for anti-obesity prescriptions have actually received medical treatments.

Further, officials highlight bleak outcomes for cases of untreated obesity, leading to over 230 medical conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes.

Dorothea Vafiadis conducts obesity town halls across the country to garner deeper analysis behind the experiences and concerns of individuals with obesity. As senior director for the National Council on Aging, Vafiadis shared the sentiments of many obese Americans, many of whom felt invisible and hopeless from a lack of support and proper treatment within medical spaces.

“Many people with obesity feel stuck because they don’t get the care that they need, especially people of color, but older adults with obesity face both ageism and weight stigma. In Jackson, Mississippi, at a faith-based organization, we had an older adult man stand up and say,

‘We live sick and we die quick,’ as he had lost several relatives to diet-related obesity, all dying around the age of 50,” Vafiadis told The Informer. “It was very powerful to hear the stories of older adults and their search for information to be recognized, to get the care that they need and to feel supported.”

The Obesity Bill of Rights highlights the severe disparities in chronic obesity seen in communities of color, particularly among the Black American community.

Nearly 48% of African American adults are clinically obese, with 37.1% of men and 56.6% of women, compared to 32.6% of white Americans.

The Office of Minority Health reports that roughly 4 out of 5 African American women are overweight or obese, while in 2018, 1.3 non-Hispanic Black people were more likely to be obese as compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts, largely explaining why obesity is deemed a national crisis.

Contrary to the common biases of people with chronic obesity, Dr. Fatima Stanford, an obesity medicine physician-scientist and staunch supporter of the Obesity Bill of Rights, told The Informer that beyond poor eating habits, pathophysiology explains the root of chronic obesity, as food intake is regulated in the brain.

Stanford emphasized the crucial importance of reducing stigma and bias towards patients managing obesity in medical spaces, as obesity shows to be a complex chronic disease largely influenced by a multitude of factors including food insecurity, trauma, and psychological triggers outside of the common focus on dietary habits.

“A lot of people talk about biological or medical reasons, age-related changes. Those menopausal changes and perimenopausal changes will affect you. Genetics and epigenetics, something about us being Black [people] may affect us. Different medications that are prescribed to us, [or] sleep deficit may affect us, but we don’t ever hear about those things,” said Stanford.

She considered mental health as a contributing factor to many obesity struggles.

“What was mom’s stress? What was her obesity? What were all of mom’s issues when she was going through pregnancy? What is your trauma history? Are you dealing with emotional coping issues? We haven’t talked about those issues.”

The Obesity Bill of Rights has received a collective endorsement from 36 leading organizations, including the American Nurses Association, the Academy of Nutrition, and the Obesity Action Coalition. Likewise, the collective’s efforts are publicly backed by prominent policy makers such as Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), who are also leading the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to push expansion of access to obesity treatments across the country.

“Obesity is a chronic condition – not a personal or moral failing. We need to ensure our health care system treats it as a disease so that Americans with obesity can access holistic, high-quality care that meets the full spectrum of their needs,” Moore said.

The post Health Care Advocates Unveil Historic Obesity Bill of Rights first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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