This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: Talking about the problem of obesity on the north side of St. Louis, a public health professor told the Beacon in 2009, "There are fried chicken places but not a Subway where people can get something healthy fast."
Her point: Outsiders shouldn't be too surprised that obesity is more pervasive in a section of the city where eateries offering low-calorie food are generally nonexistent. The professor might be pleased to know that some Subway shops have since opened on the north side. But obesity is still out of control.
One study in 2010 found that the general rate of obesity across Missouri had grown to more than 29 percent, but that the rate among African Americans across Missouri was 38.4 percent. In 2011, the overall rate for St. Louis was 31 percent, or nearly 10 percent lower than the rate in predominantly black areas four years earlier. In other words, the numbers in black communities always have been higher.
Beginning Sunday, April 14, the Beacon and other local organizations will launch an initiative called Fit City. It will focus on what sponsors hope will be practical, effective and enjoyable ways to help people understand and reduce the health risks associated with being overweight.
This is a free, year-long program of teaching, listening and learning.
The first program will take place at 1:15 p.m., Sunday, April 14, at Central Baptist Church’s William H. Claiborne Education Center, 2843 Washington Blvd.
On the following Sunday, April 21, a second program will take place at 1 p.m., at New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church’s Fellowship Hall, 4638 West Florissant Ave. A light lunch will be provided at both events, courtesy of Schnucks.
In addition to the Beacon and the two churches, the Institute for Public Health at Washington University is a partner in this initiative. Other community organizations, including the YMCA at O'Fallon Park Rec Complex, Nurses for Newborns, Grace Hill and the local chapter of the American Heart Association will participate. The Missouri Foundation for Health and the Public Insight Network have funded the community engagement and the reporting in the Beacon.
The events are open to people from across the St. Louis area because the problem of obesity affects everyone. Obesity is a condition under which body weight is sharply higher than the recommended body mass index. This is a preventable condition, and heading it off would avoid the billions spent now and in the future to treat chronic diseases that can be triggered by the obesity and an inactive lifestyle. These include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
It is no accident that the program begins at a church. One big reason is that churches generally are regarded as safe places where people can feel secure and comfortable in talking about personal health problems.
A second reason for beginning at a church location is based on comments from the Association of Black Cardiologists. It has published a booklet, titled "7 Steps to a Healthy Heart," with the first step a spiritual response to disease. It points to studies showing that African Americans who attend places of worship regularly tend to live longer than those who do not. Copies of the booklet are expected to be available Sunday. An online version is available on the web.
Ministers from the two participating churches also had some thoughts about the value of the spiritual in addressing health issues. Rev. Alice C. Price, executive minister at Central Baptist, says people must embrace both their spiritual and their physical sides when tackling obesity and other health issues.
She notes that Central Baptist’s mission statement "talks about serving the community holistically. So we are concerned about the physical health, the mental health and the economic health of the people of our congregation and the surrounding community."
She said, "We serve (God) not only with our hearts and souls; we serve with our bodies." A body that is "unhealthy due to things over which we have control is not of service to God," she says, adding that "The word of God says the body is a temple, and we are to be stewards of the body which God has entrusted us."
Rev. Clyde Crumpton, pastoral assistant at New Sunny Mount, also says answers to health problems, such as obesity, begin with the spiritual, which he says is a reflection of the church’s concerns about the health and welfare of people and the community.
"Everything begins with the mind, and the mind dictates to the body. The mind is our spiritual part. The mind is a very good place to start in addressing the health and lifestyle of individuals."
He also hopes the program delves into economic issues and the roles that business, government and politics play in building healthy communities.
"We are on the right track," he says of the program. "Educating the community is very important in addressing health concerns and health care."
Like those behind this new program, Brian Byrd, a fitness trainer, is confident that people can take control of their obesity and reverse some of the harm it inflicts. He argues that the fact that blacks tend to exercise less or not at all isn't a "race issue but a socioeconomic issue. People who are not financially fortunate don’t necessarily have the knowledge to make choices about (being) able to live healthier."
"Health issues that you see in the African-American community with diabetes and heart disease are huge issues, a huge financial burden (requiring) medication and time off from work," Byrd said. "This (obesity) is something that we need to try to address."
Fit City
The St. Louis Beacon is embarking on a year-long initiative on obesity. Our focus is on north St. Louis where the rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are disproportionately high. We are holding neighborhood conversations and programs to address the problem. Through a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health and support for community engagement from the Public Insight Network, the Beacon will report on scientific research on obesity, the success and failures of programs to reduce obesity — as well as the stories of local individuals.
