Topic: Obesity

Efforts underway to improve breastfeeding rates among black women

By Turner McCullough Jr. | September 5, 2008 |

August played host to World Breastfeeding Week during its first seven days. More hospitals are reaching out to new mothers to boost breastfeeding and their babies health.

An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that African American mothers, who are less likely than white or Latina women to breastfeed, have reversed that trend and are now doing so in impressive numbers. Sixty-five percent of black women have nursed their infants at some point. This compares to a 36 percent rate 14 years ago. Still, only 20 percent of black mothers reach the government’s target goal of exclusively breastfeeding when their infants are six months old. Breastfeeding can help address health problems that plague both African American mothers and infants alike. Breastfeeding is the most natural and beneficial way to strengthen your baby’s immune system and provide the best possible nutrition for yourself, as a mother, and your baby. «Read the rest of this article»

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Obesity, Weight Loss, and Just Being Healthy

August 11, 2006 |

Every day, we can pick up a paper and see that the great American government has decided that yet another sector of our country is now “officially obese”. We have adults, teens and now infants. We are not talking just a little overweight, we are talking life threatening, seriously obese.

In 1997, I found myself needing to get rid of about 40 pounds. I was obese. At the time there was no support on the Internet. So, I put the first online journal up for the world to see and within 2 months had over 250 men and women with journals. We started an email list and we supported each other and learned from each other.

«Read the rest of this article»

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