Archive for April 2010

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Cancer-Related Illness: What Guru can teach the Black Community

This is old news but what is older is the fact that we lead our white counter parts in another negative category. “African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival rate of any other racial or ethnic group for most cancers,” according to the ACS web site. RIP Guru and let’s learn another lesson from the icon and get detected early!

The voice of music was quieted for a moment as millions mourned the loss of Guru, one half of the powerhouse group, Gangstarr. The New York MC, whose real name was Keith Elam, died at the age of 43 due to complications from undisclosed cancer after having been diagnosed with anoxia.

Producer Solar, who was a friend and collaborator of Guru’s, released a statement published in the report mourning the rapper’s death.

“The world has lost one of the best MCs and hip-hop icons of all-time—my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru,” reads the statement issued by Solar. “Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.”

African Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers. Death rates for all major causes of death are higher for African Americans than for whites, contributing to a lower life expectancy for both African American men and African American women.

• In 2005, African American men were 1.3 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African American men were twice as likely to have new cases of stomach cancer as non-Hispanic white men.
• African Americans men had lower 5-year cancer survival rates for lung and pancreatic cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2006, African American men were 2.4 times as likely to die from prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2005, African American women were 10% less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were 34% more likely to die from breast cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
• African American women are twice as likely to have been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and they are 2.4 times as likely to die from stomach cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.

At a glance – New Cases:

Source:  CDC, 2009. Health United States, 2008. Table 52.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf [PDF | 12.2MB]

At a glance – Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2002-2006):

At a glance – Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2002-2006):

Source:  NCI 2008.  Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2006.  Tables 1.24 & 1.25
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2006/results_merged/topic_inc_trends.pdf [PDF | 62KB]

At a glance – 5 Year Survival Rate:

Source:  CDC, 2009. Health United States, 2008. Table 53
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf [PDF | 12.2MB]

At a glance – Death Rate:

Source:  NCI 2009.  Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2006.  Table 1.20.
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2006/results_single/sect_01_table.20_2pgs.pdf [PDF | 24KB]

At a Glance – Screening:

Breast Cancer

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 1A_b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html

Cervical Cancer

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 3b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html

Colon Cancer

Source:   2008 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 1_3_1.2b.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rapper Guru dead at age 43 (network.nationalpost.com)
• Guru of Gang Starr & Jazzmatazz, RIP (left us with a letter) (brooklynvegan.com)
• Hip-Hop Icon Passes Away From Cancer (urbanbellemag.com)

Guru Dies Of Cancer-Related Illness

The Poor Misunderstood Egg

The Poor Misunderstood Egg

Let me be perfectly clear: Eggs are one of the most perfect foods on the planet. I eat a lot of eggs and my cholesterol is way low…even a little too low, but that’s another story. I’m a big egg white fan but should I omit the yolk?

Yup, the yolk — that poor, misunderstood, but essential component of the egg that too often gets thrown out in a misguided attempt to avoid cholesterol and fat. So let’s clear a few things up about eggs, cholesterol, fat and health.

Number One: The cholesterol in eggs has virtually no effect on the cholesterol in your blood.

Number Two: The fat in the egg yolk is mostly monounsaturated fat, the same kind found in olive oil. Yes, you heard that right. Of the 5.3 grams of total fat in one large egg, only 1.6 grams are saturated.

Number Three: Many of the nutrients that make eggs so incredibly healthy are found in the yolk. Examples: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two members of the carotenoid family that are beneficial for eye health. The yolk also contains choline, which is important for brain health — and vitamin D.

The idea that eating eggs is bad for your heart is a myth. No study has linked egg eating to greater risk of heart disease. In fact, quite the opposite. According to an article from Harvard Health (a publication of Harvard Medical School), “The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease … found no connection between the two.”

Research has also shown that eggs eaten at the start of the day can reduce your daily calorie intake, prevent snacking between meals and keep you satisfied.

However, not all eggs are created equal. Stay away from scrambled eggs at open buffets. While the cholesterol in eggs poses no real harm to you, when that cholesterol is “scrambled” and then exposed to air and oxygen for a long time (like on an open buffet), it becomes damaged. That’s not something you really want in your body. Better to poach, soft or hard boil. If you do scramble eggs, eat them quickly and don’t let them sit around all day long.

source: unknown

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Do Black Men Encourage Black Women To Be Overweight?

These words can be heard from just about every man of color from time to time. “I want something I can hold on to”.. Was Sir Mix A Lot speaking for all black men whe he spoke of his preference for a women with a large behind? Has the desire of black men to have a women with a nice apple bottom behind led to the obesity rate in black women. Read more

KFC’s new Double Down is Fast Trip to a Double By Pass

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Jennifer Hudson is Weight Watchers' newest spokesperson

The actress and new mom has signed on as the new spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, and plans are underway for her to share her dieting experiences, according to the weight loss company.

The actress, who tried several diets before starting the program, has already lost some weight, her Weight Watchers leader Liz Josefsberg tells the Daily News.

Josefsberg wouldn’t say how many pounds the actress has lost so far, but said that she recently reached a major weight loss milestone.

“We aren’t talking numbers, but Jennifer is extremely close to another weight loss goal of hers,” Josefsberg said. “She’s excited.”

On the Weight Watchers Web site, Hudson noted, “With Weight Watchers I am enjoying the weight loss because I’m doing it the right way – I feel empowered with what I’ve learned, everything from portion control to what foods will help keep me satisfied. It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet.”

The actress has planned a live Facebook interview at 3 p.m. Thursday on Weight Watchers’ Facebook page.

Since embarking on the weight loss program several months ago, Hudson has bumped up her exercise routine, graduating from just walking to walk-running and playing basketball, Josefsberg says.

She also following another tried-and-true Weight Watchers tactic: keeping track of everything she eats.

“Jennifer tracks what she eats with her Weight Watchers iPhone app,” Josefsberg said. “She’s on the go so much that she doesn’t always have time to pop open her laptop, but whenever she eats something, she enters it on her phone and that calculates how many points she has left for the day.”

On the program, different foods are “worth” a certain number of points, and each Weight Watchers participant is allotted a certain amount of points to eat each day.

One of Hudson’s pitfalls before she started the program was focusing on foods she thought would help her lose weight, Josefsberg said.

“A lot of grilled chicken is how Jennifer puts it,” she said.

Weight Watchers encourages attendance at weekly support meetings, and Hudson has been to some of them, Josefsberg said.

“We also have private meetings and do what we can,” she said. “We have had to meet at airports sometimes. With her schedule, it’s just not possible for her to always get to a meeting.”

Hudson’s not the only celeb to be the face of Weight Watchers.

Last year, Jenny McCarthy was a Weight Watchers spokeswoman. Until then, the most recognizable spokesperson for the organization was Sarah Ferguson

source: nydailynews.com