Know4LIFE's Note: Obesity is a major problem to any nation, it poses a major problem to the Black community in America. They are many reasons for obesity in the Black community. Among them are: economic (poverty), laziness (lack of physical activity), (dietary) ignorance, residual affects of slavery, ie a slave diet, and mental illness (this is caused by a number of things: abuse, neglect, etc. The result is poor self esteem, and depression which leads to a form of addiction and escapism. The cure: Seek refuge in Allah (God) ie put your trust in God and not man (or woman), exercise (get out the house, turn off the TV, computer and video game) , become involved in charitable work (help others), and read: How to Eat to LIVE - http://www.seventhfam.com/temple/books/eat... Peace!

By Laurie Cunningham

The common fat-o-meter among nations is body mass index (BMI), a calculation based on a person’s height and weight. The World Health Organization defines “overweight” as an individual with a BMI of 25 or more and “obese” as someone with a BMI of 30 or higher. (To see how you weigh in, use this calculator by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.)

Today, one in three of the world’s adults is overweight and one in 10 is obese. By 2015, WHO estimates the number of chubby adults will balloon to 2.3 billion — equal to the combined populations of China, Europe and the U.S. Read more...

Related story:

• 1 in 3 black Americans is obese, study finds

See where your state fall in the obesity epidemic

• Obesity rates across the country