Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRace and ObesityObesity and Heart Disease RiskObesity DisparitiesRisk Factors in Black PeopleHealthcare Provider SupportObesity TreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Race and Obesity
Obesity and Heart Disease Risk
Obesity Disparities
Risk Factors in Black People
Healthcare Provider Support
Obesity Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
This article is part ofHealth Divide: Heart Disease Risk Factors, a destination in our Health Divide series.
Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately poorer health outcomes for almost all chronic diseases, especiallyheart disease, withobesity(abnormal or excessive fat) being a prominent trigger for these negative health outcomes.Abody mass index (BMI)over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.
Obesity increases morbidity and mortality in the Black community and its related complications are major drivers of rising healthcare costs, diminished health-related quality of life, and the recent decline in U.S. life expectancy, with the greatest effect seen in Black communities.
Zoe Hansen / Verywell
Clinical obesity has been directly linked to cardiovascular disease because it increases your risk ofdyslipidemia,type 2 diabetes,hypertension, andsleep disorders. All of these conditions alone are major independent risk factors for heart disease which can lead toheart attack, amputation, andstroke.
This article will cover how obesity increases heart disease risk in Black people.
BMI is a dated, flawed measure. It does not take into account factors such asbody composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is abiased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
Four in 10 Americans, totaling about 100 million, are obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among African-American adults, nearly half—48%—are clinically obese compared to 32.6% of White people.
The Black community persistently experiences food insecurity at higher rates than the White community and faces added social, economic, and environmental challenges. Years of systemic oppression have resulted in obesity rates that are higher than it’s ever been in the Black community.
Black People and ObesityAccording to the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 75% of the Black community is considered overweight or obese, with Black women experiencing even higher rates of obesity.
Black People and Obesity
According to the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 75% of the Black community is considered overweight or obese, with Black women experiencing even higher rates of obesity.
As a result, 42% of the Black community hashypertension, and Black people are 30% more likely to die from heart disease than White people.
Why Obesity Is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease
Black people who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease, including:
How Does Obesity Increase Your Heart Disease Risk?When you’re obese, the body requires more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients, which causes an increase in blood pressure. An increase in blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease.
How Does Obesity Increase Your Heart Disease Risk?
When you’re obese, the body requires more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients, which causes an increase in blood pressure. An increase in blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease.
Underlying Cause of Obesity Disparities
Obesity is a complex health condition resulting from a combination of behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors.
COVID-19 Weight Gain in the Black CommunityThe pandemic weight gain is especially troubling. Sedentary lifestyles have become the norm with rising unemployment rates, poor mental health, and stay-at-home orders.
COVID-19 Weight Gain in the Black Community
The pandemic weight gain is especially troubling. Sedentary lifestyles have become the norm with rising unemployment rates, poor mental health, and stay-at-home orders.
There are many risk factors for obesity.
Risk factors can be alterable—that is, you can change them—like how you eat or exercise, or inalterable—unchanging—like your family history and genetics.
Biological Sex and ObesityYour biological sex also affects your obesity risk. In the United States, Black or Latinx people who are born female are more likely to be obese than Black or Latinx people who are born male.Women are also more likely to havepolycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), an endocrine disorder that results in a hormonal imbalance that can affect fertility and lead to weight gain.
Biological Sex and Obesity
Your biological sex also affects your obesity risk. In the United States, Black or Latinx people who are born female are more likely to be obese than Black or Latinx people who are born male.Women are also more likely to havepolycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), an endocrine disorder that results in a hormonal imbalance that can affect fertility and lead to weight gain.
Your biological sex also affects your obesity risk. In the United States, Black or Latinx people who are born female are more likely to be obese than Black or Latinx people who are born male.
Women are also more likely to havepolycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), an endocrine disorder that results in a hormonal imbalance that can affect fertility and lead to weight gain.
A recent study found that Black people who identified as having a low family income, little to no education, or under-/unemployed were more likely to be obese. Receipt of public assistance was also strongly associated with obesity in Caribbean-Black men and women. Conversely, those who reported higher levels of income, education, occupation, or living in a residence within a neighborhood with a supermarket had lower rates of obesity.
Discussing Your Weight With a Healthcare Provider
Your weight should be a topic of discussion with your healthcare provider since it is an important indicator of overall health.
Finding a Trustworthy Healthcare Provider
Discussing your weight with a healthcare provider may be difficult for you for a myriad of reasons. Therefore it is imperative that you seek out an empathic, equitable, and unbiased healthcare provider who will take the time and attention needed to address this issue, understanding that it may take some time to figure out a plan that works best for you.
While Black healthcare providers are more likely to practice in underserved communities, often concentrated in urban areas, more rural areas may have few, if any.
As of 2018, 5.4% of physicians identified as Black despite Black Americans making up 13.4% of the U.S. population.Fortunately, there are initiatives in place to increase this number, and websites likeBlackdoctor.organdFindABlackDoctor.comhave created search engines that help you find Black healthcare providers more easily.
Prejudice in Health Care
Black healthcare providers are more likely to provide culturally-specific care—listening to their patients' concerns and empathizing with their plights.
For many Black people, finding a trustworthy healthcare provider is often centered around finding a Black healthcare provider. That alone raises the chances of getting the quality of care you need. A history of biased and substandard care from White healthcare providers is one reason why Black people are more trusting of Black healthcare providers.
Questions to Ask
Knowing what questions to ask is a major factor in choosing the right healthcare provider. This helps set expectations, which ensures you will receive quality care.
Some questions you may want to ask your healthcare provider include:
What Are the Causes of Obesity?
An Integrative Treatment Approach
Understanding your risk factors for obesity is important in how you will either prevent or treat it.
The following are the components of an integrative approach that addresses the many factors that contribute to obesity risk.
Medication
There are a host of medications that can help you lose weight or curb weight gain. They usually work one of three ways:
Some common Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications prescribed to treat obesity include:
Losing Weight At a Healthy PaceThe goal isn’t to lose all the weight as quickly as possible. Losing weight in a healthy way starts with meeting small achievable goals. Even modest weight loss of 5 to 10% can make a dramatic impact on your health, helping to improve blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels.
Losing Weight At a Healthy Pace
The goal isn’t to lose all the weight as quickly as possible. Losing weight in a healthy way starts with meeting small achievable goals. Even modest weight loss of 5 to 10% can make a dramatic impact on your health, helping to improve blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels.
Of note, phentermine, benzphetamine, diethylpropion, and phendimetrazine may all be used to curb appetite, but they should not be used in those with heart disease or hypertension.
Therapy
You do not have to fight obesity alone, but some Black people might feel like they do. Stigma—and the forces that create the stigma—sometimes make it difficult for individuals to reach out to a trained health professional for help.
The Danger of Normalizing ObesitySome people in the Black community have normalized obesity, justifying an unhealthy weight and lifestyle in the name of body positivity. While there is no place for fat-shaming, there is no place, either, for obesity-normalizing, in light of the chronic and in light of the fact that obesity is a risk factor for many chronic medical conditions.
The Danger of Normalizing Obesity
Some people in the Black community have normalized obesity, justifying an unhealthy weight and lifestyle in the name of body positivity. While there is no place for fat-shaming, there is no place, either, for obesity-normalizing, in light of the chronic and in light of the fact that obesity is a risk factor for many chronic medical conditions.
Your healthcare provider may suggest behavioral therapy if you are struggling with your weight.
While therapy has been shown to be an effective weight management tool, it is no substitute for making lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle modification and subsequent weight loss improve both metabolic syndrome and associated systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
The following healthy habits may prevent obesity or lead to lifesaving weight loss, protecting your heart in the process:
Stress Management
High levels of stress are associated with poor health habits like late-night snacking, lack of exercise, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking.
Limiting stress has immeasurable value in preventing obesity.
Ways you can manage stress include:
The goal isn’t to avoid stress at all costs—that’s nearly impossible to do—but to find ways to address stressful situations in a healthy way and limit the amount of negative stress that you experience. Even more, working with a healthcare provider and/or a therapist can help you figure out the best treatment plan to meet your specific goals.
Group Exercise
Group exercise sessions are a proven method to prevent obesity. Not only are you getting a vigorous workout, but often people form strong support groups.
Group exercise classes may include:
Group exercise programs are even more effective when they’re done with friends.
The reasoning behind the effectiveness of group workouts over individual workouts is that communal meetings keep people accountable, increasing commitment to a fitness routine. Also, people give each other a boost or a competitive edge. One study found that people were able to hold a plan for 27% longer when working out with a partner.Lastly, group workouts help you to diversify your workouts, making them less likely to become mundane and unenjoyable.
Surgery
Prospective studies comparing patients undergoing bariatric surgery with nonsurgical patients with obesity have shown reduced coronary artery disease risk with surgery.
Resources
There are many other local resources that can also be accessed from places like churches and community health centers.
Of note, OCAN’s newest initiative, theObesity Care Now campaign, is leading the fight to modernize outdated policies that stigmatize obesity as a choice, rather than a complex chronic disease.
Summary
Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately poorer health outcomes for almost all chronic diseases, especially heart disease, with obesity being a major driver.
Obesity increases morbidity and mortality in the Black community and its related complications are major drivers of rising healthcare costs, diminished health-related quality of life, and the recent decline in U.S. life expectancy, with the great effect seen in Black communities.
A Word From Verywell
The issue with being overweight is not simply aesthetics in terms of body shape and size. Obesity is a deadly condition that can put your health in serious jeopardy. Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, kidney disease, and the development of certain types of cancer are just some of the medical obesity-related conditions that are disproportionately impacting the Black community. Even more, these conditions are curbing life expectancy for the first time in decades, leading society to confront the reality that people today may not live as long as their parents.
Frequently Asked QuestionsBlack and Latinx populations have higher rates of obesity compared to White Americans, largely due to systemic inequalities that make it difficult for these groups to achieve their best health.Obesity is admittedly complex and no one-size-fits-all approach will work for Black America but the visual of the overweight older Black adult is far too common, and it rests on all members of society to support anti-obesity missions that aim to create a better life for the community.Being overweight puts you at higher risk to develop conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes that can lead to heart disease. Obesity can also cause your heart to work hard. Obese individuals require more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to their bodies which causes an increase in blood pressure. Over time this can lead to heart failure.
Black and Latinx populations have higher rates of obesity compared to White Americans, largely due to systemic inequalities that make it difficult for these groups to achieve their best health.Obesity is admittedly complex and no one-size-fits-all approach will work for Black America but the visual of the overweight older Black adult is far too common, and it rests on all members of society to support anti-obesity missions that aim to create a better life for the community.
Being overweight puts you at higher risk to develop conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes that can lead to heart disease. Obesity can also cause your heart to work hard. Obese individuals require more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to their bodies which causes an increase in blood pressure. Over time this can lead to heart failure.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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