Diet, health and the black man

Some simple dietary changes can make a world of difference to long-term health.

By MONIQUE FIELDS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 6, 2002

MILWAUKEE -- At age 40, Todd Beamon had a colonoscopy. What he learned from that test scared him. Three polyps had formed on his colon. What's worse is that he could have changed his eating habits and possibly prevented the cancer.

Three years later, the polyps are gone and Beamon, now 43 and a Web content producer for SunSpot in Baltimore, has had only three steaks in the last three years.

"And I don't miss it."

Beamon is among African-American men who can reduce their risk of high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and heart disease by eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The National Cancer Institute's "5 A Day for Better Health Program" emphasizes the link between diet and health in African-American men. A panel, "How Diet Affects Black Men's Health," was held at the National Association of Black Journalists convention here.

African-American men have the highest rates of prostate cancer and hypertension in the world and are twice as likely as their white counterparts to develop diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

But physicians say black men can address health issues by cutting fat from their diets, eating more fiber and fruits and vegetables. Add to that some exercise and black men are well on their way to beating the odds of losing their lives to diseases that are afflicting the African-American community.

"There is a tremendous amount of disparity when it comes to comparing the cancer rates of black men and white men," said Dr. Reed Tuckson, senior vice president of Consumer Health & Medical Care Advancement for the UnitedHealth Group. "African-Americans are also less likely to believe that diet can affect their risk for disease. Many reject messages about cancer prevention because of these attitudes."

That's why physicians tried to make the number of servings seems less daunting. They noted that a half a cup of leafy greens equals one serving. So does one banana, a handful of baby carrots and one large broccoli floret. They said the number of servings isn't difficult to achieve on a daily basis if fruits and vegetables are eaten throughout the day and during snack time. The diet-conscious person should refrain from overcooking vegetables, because they lose significant amounts of Vitamin C the longer they are cooked, and they should not add a lot of salt or fat to their vegetables.

The benefits of making that change can save lives.

"The more fruits and vegetables you add to your diet, the more years you add to your life," said Lorelei DiSogra, director of the national 5 A Day Health Program.

The panelists realize this information might not reach the African-American community, so they asked journalists to help spread the message. They also encouraged journalists to report about success stories of those who beat the odds by exercising and eating healthy foods.

"It's not about selling vegetables. It's not about selling fruit," said Gregory L. Moore, editor of the Denver Post and the lone journalist on the panel. "It's about people and their lives."

As for Beamon, he says he no longer eats pork. He also eats five broccoli florets for lunch daily.

"I have two daughters," he said, "and I plan to walk them down the aisle in 15 years."

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