Attention Brothers! The fraternity's health initiative includes the 50 Million Pound Challenge! The fraternity has a goal to help as many brothers, their family, and friends as possible. Get signed up today! As a matter of fact, nearly 80 percent of African American women and 70 percent of African American men are overweight. The 50 Million Pound Challenge is FREE and offers some incredible tools to assist in one's fitness efforts.

We need brothers to sign up at 50millionpounds.com and join "Omega Psi Phi - National Team"

The Dangers of Being Overweight

As Americans continue to gain weight at a rapid rate, many are going from being overweight to becoming obese. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and a shorter life expectancy are all health risks associated with obesity. While we are generally aware of these terms and illnesses, many of us don't consider them as seriously as we should. While many of us think losing weight is about vanity, for the severely overweight and obese, it can become a matter of life and death.

Life Expectancy

"What's the average amount of time you are going to live?"  That's something called life expectancy, and it's a number that scientists figure based on all kinds of complicated methods that would bore you to tears if we explained it.  But take a look at what the chart looks like:

LIFE EXPECTANCY (in years)
	White Female	78.0
	African-American Female	76.1
	White Male	75.3
	Black Male	69.0
Data taken from US Life Tables, 2003, National Vital Statistics Reports Vol. 54 N. 14

The numbers speak for themselves. There is a tremendous gap between African-American men and everyone else. Too many of us are dying too young and we don't have to. There are many reasons for the gap, but the major reason is our higher rate of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. We can begin to close the gap and improve not just the length of our lives but the quality of them as well. It's up to us to start making the changes through better food choices, more exercise, and getting the necessary screening tests such as breast mammograms for women and prostate exams for men. Remember, part of THE CHALLENGE is your commitment to bettering not just yourself, but the entire community.

Diabetes

What exactly is diabetes? Simply put, it's the body's inability to properly handle the sugar (glucose) that's in your blood. Too much sugar in the blood can cause damage to many parts of the body, including blood vessels and nerves. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is something that a person is born with and has no way of preventing or curing. Type 1 diabetics need to get regular insulin shots. Type 2 diabetes typically starts in adulthood, but more children are now developing it because of the increase in obesity and decrease in exercise. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes and the one that's related to our being overweight. Insulin shots may also be necessary for people that develop Type 2 diabetes, but in most cases, it can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, eating the right foods, and being physically active. (Does that sound familiar?)

Take a look at these statistics for a better idea of how critical it is that we make some changes:

Diabetes and African-American Statistics

• Affects 3.2 million or 13.3% of all African-Americans aged 20 years or older.
• African-Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as whites.
• 1 out of every 4 African-Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 has diabetes
• 1 out of every 4 African-American women over 55 has diabetes

Source: American Diabetes Association

Why is diabetes so dangerous? It can cause all types of harmful serious health problems including: blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart disease, and stroke. So the key is to prevent diabetes before it even develops, or if you already suffer from it, control it through lifestyle changes and medications if necessary.  You need to find out if you're at risk for diabetes. Pay attention to the chart below and check off all of those risk factors that apply to you. Those of you that have the ability to change yourself should as soon as possible because that means that you can better control the fate of your health.

Diabetes Risk Factors

• I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes (family history).
• My family background is Alaska Native, American Indian, African-American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander.
• I have had diabetes during a pregnancy, or I gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• My blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, or I have been told that I have high blood pressure.
• My cholesterol levels are not normal. My HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) is below 35, or my triglyceride level is above 250.
• I am not very physically active. I exercise fewer than three times a week.
• I have polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS (women only).
• On previous testing, I had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or have been told that I was "pre-diabetic. "
• I have other clinical conditions associated with insulin resistance.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH

Now that you know the problem, how are you going to solve it?  Take a look below at how you can reduce your risk for diabetes and improve your health.

What You Can Do

• Lose weight
• Lower your cholesterol/triglyceride level
• Become physically active most days (4 days/week)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Make wise food choices most of the time
• Get your blood sugar levels checked regularly
• Take your medications as prescribed by your doctor

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is called the "silent killer" because it sneaks up on us as quietly as a thief in the night. When we least expect it, it delivers a blow that many will never recover from.

Let me share a few facts to help you better see into the evil workshop of this deadly disease.

• 41.8% of all African-American men 20 years or older have high blood pressure.
• 45.4% of all African-American women 20 years or older have high blood pressure.

Let me give you a simple way to see the size of this. If you were to stand on any random street and count the African-Americans who walked by over a period of time, 4 out of 10 of them would suffer from high blood pressure. African-Americans have some of the highest rates of elevated blood pressure not just in the US, but the entire world.

What exactly is high blood pressure? Your blood travels to the various organs in our bodies through tiny blood vessels. These little tubes or blood vessels are critical, because they are like the highways for blood. If they become blocked or damaged, then you have all kinds of problems, just the way you would if you were driving down a three-lane expressway and two of the lanes were closed down due to construction. The blood vessels become stiff and narrow, and the blood has a hard time squeezing through the tight space and puts pressure on the walls of the tubes that are carrying it.  If not treated properly, this pressure causes problems such as an enlarged heart, stroke, and kidney disease.

Take a look below at the numbers and see if you are on the verge of high blood pressure or you already have it.

American Heart Association recommended blood pressure levels:

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic (Upper Number)		Diastolic (Lower Number)
Normal	less than 120	and	less than 80
Prehypertension	120-139	or	80-89
High
Stage 1	140-159	or	90-99
Stage 2	160 or higher	or	100 or higher

Are you at risk for high blood pressure?  Check out the risk factors below.

Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure

• Overweight/Obesity
• Lack of exercise/physical activity
• Unhealthy diet
• Stress
• Smoking tobacco products
• Race: African Americans have higher risk
• Age: older than 55
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Polycystic kidney disease (and other types of kidney disease)
• Cushing's disease
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Medication side effects (antidepressants, cold medicines, oral contraceptives)
• Recreational drug use (e.g. cocaine)

High blood pressure needs to be treated early and effectively because it can lead to several other problems, including: heart attack, stroke, enlarged heart, kidney disease, blindness, and reduced brain function. Many people can go for years with high blood pressure and not even know they have it. (Remember, that's why it's called the "silent killer.") The only real way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured by a trained healthcare professional who has the best equipment and skills to test you.

The reason you've joined THE CHALLENGE is to improve your health. Here are some of things you can do to prevent or control high blood pressure.

It's Up to You

• Lose weight (healthy diet/exercise)
• Stop smoking
• Manage stress better
• Avoid excess alcohol
• Decrease sodium (salt) intake
• Take medications as your doctor prescribes

Obesity and Cancer

Did you know that there's a link between obesity and cancer? Scientists have found that not only is there a link, but according to an American Cancer Society study, as many as 90,000 cancer deaths each year could be prevented if Americans could only maintain a normal, healthy body weight.

It's believed that one of the important ways obesity increases your risk for cancer is by causing the body to produce more of the hormones estrogen and insulin. Under the right circumstances, these hormones are critical for our health.  But when someone is obese and these hormones are too high, they can actually stimulate the growth of cancer.

The good news is that, to some degree, we can control many of our risks factors for these cancers by good eating habits and exercising. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is not just about what you look like in the mirror or the number that registers on a scale.

There are certain foods that are what we call "cancer fighters." They contain something called "antioxidants" that work to prevent cancer from developing. The greatest sources of these antioxidants are fresh vegetables and fruits, which is why you should be eating at least five servings a day. Whole grains are also important. Whole grains include: oatmeal, whole-wheat bread multi-grain bread, and brown rice.  You should try to have at least three servings of whole grains each day.

Food is important fuel for our bodies and exercise is a great way to keep our wonderful machines finely tuned. The next time you're deciding what you should eat or if you want to walk a few blocks rather than driving or taking the bus, think about how that simple decision could help you lower your risk of developing cancer and many other chronic diseases.