African American Childhood and Adolescent Obesity: Interventions with Group Therapy

Abstract

Obesity rates tend to be higher in Black children. Nationally, in 2012, 20.5% of African-American girls were obese compared to 15.6% of White girls and 19% of African-American boys were obese compared to 12.6% of white Boys. For youth from 2 years old to 19 years old, 8% of African-American children are considered severely obese, with the severe weight gain occurring most often between the third and eighth grades. African Americans are seriously eating themselves into the grave. This is a conversation often held with the late Dick Gregory, but I never agreed with his extremities on eating either. The key is to be healthy and balanced. The key is nutrition and it should be taught in schools, as to what foods are healthy and what foods are not. Many churches haves taken it upon themselves to teach good, healthy habits.