[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HEALTH

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 2019

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the 
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who prepared this statement for me 
in acknowledgement of Black History Month.
  Minority populations, especially the African American population, 
continue to remain in relatively poor health when compared to the 
majority population, and also continue to be underserved by the health 
care system.
  One of the biggest health challenges facing our country today is 
obesity, and the African American community is especially at risk. In a 
2015-2016 study by the CDC, the report found non-Hispanic black (46.8 
percent) adults had a higher prevalence of obesity than non-Hispanic 
white adults (37.9 percent).
  Compared to other states, Illinois' obesity rate is a significant 
area of concern, with 31.1 percent adults having obesity. This 
statistic is higher than the U.S. median.
   Illinois has the twenty-seventh highest adult obesity rate in the 
nation, and the seventh highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17.
  Chicago's African American community is the demographic with the 
highest obesity rate at 39.8 percent.
  With such a high percentage of the African American community falling 
in the obese category, the demographic runs a higher risk for obesity-
related conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes 
and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of 
preventable, premature death. Compared to the general population, 
African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes.
  Adult Illinoisans with hypertension is 32.32 percent, while 11 
percent have diabetes--both illnesses directly related to obesity.
   13.2 percent of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have 
diagnosed diabetes.
  African Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes as non-
Hispanic whites.
  African-Americans are significantly more likely to suffer from 
blindness, kidney disease and amputations.
  Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. 
African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as 
Caucasians.
  Approximately 4.9 million African Americans over 20 years of age are 
living with either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.
  African Americans constitute more than 35 percent of all patients in 
the U.S. receiving dialysis for kidney failure, but only represent 13.2 
percent of the overall U.S. population.
  High blood pressure is the second leading kidney failure among 
African Americans, and remains the leading cause of death due to its 
link with heart attacks and strokes.
  With these troubling statistics, where do we go from here? Awareness, 
education, and access are the keys to changing our nation's health. And 
food and nutrition practitioners play a very important role in leading 
the health revolution.
  Obesity is partially attributed to poor nutritional intake and has 
been implicated as a contributor to cancer, heart disease, stroke, arid 
diabetes. Food and nutrition practitioners have an opportunity and an 
ethical obligation to positively influence the health care experience 
of individuals.
  These experts have the power to influence factors affecting health 
disparities at the individual and the population level, including 
programs such as SNAP, WIC, adult care food programs, and other 
nutrition programs. By connecting with individuals who are most at 
risk, food and nutrition practitioners can make a huge change when it 
comes to the health of African Americans, as well as all Americans.

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