STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

On Blacks and Fat: Dr. Michelle Gourdine

Dr. Michelle Gourdine, author of "Reclaiming Out Health: A Guide to African-American Wellness," explains why self-acceptance and self-love means paying attention to your physical health.

(The Root) -- Obesity is more common in African Americans than in other ethnic groups. But when it comes to black people and weight, that's where the agreement seem to ends. Is food the culprit? Is exercise the solution? Is there even a real problem to begin with, or should we be focusing on health -- or even self-acceptance -- rather than the number on the scale?

Against the backdrop of a first lady's mission to slim down the nation's kids, black celebs getting endorsements after shedding inches and a booming weight-loss industry, The Root will publish a series of interviews with medical professionals, activists and fitness enthusiasts that reveal the complexity of this issue and the range of approaches to it.

For the 12th in the series, we spoke to Dr. Michelle Gourdine, the author of Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African American Wellness, a book designed to help African Americans reduce their disproportionate burden of obesity, high blood pressure, cancer and other leading causes of death. The board-certified physician, public health professional and professor talked to us about her criticism of a recent study suggesting exercise is less effective for black girls, why "all calories are not created equal" and how she suggests black people balance a healthy acceptance of different body types with the hard numbers. "We know we can be beautiful and we can be confident at any weight," she says, "but part of that self-acceptance and self-love means paying attention to your physical health."

Read the rest of the interviews in the series here, and check out the rest of The Root's obesity coverage here.


The Root
: According to the latest statistics, African Americans are 1.5 times as likely as whites to be obese. What's going on, from your perspective, with black people, obesity and overall health?


Michelle Gourdine:
What I think is going on with African Americans and obesity is the same thing that's going on with Americans in general. It has nothing to do with lack of willpower or genetic inferiority.
Read the full story at theroot.com.

BET Health News - We go beyond the music and entertainment world to bring you important medical information and health-related tips of special relevance to Blacks in the U.S. and around the world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.  

(Photo: Courtesy of Michelle Gourdine)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.