Wellness

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HOW DID YOU START WINGS OF HOPE?

We started WINGS OF HOPE at the age of 10. Death of our beloved Grandpa, who was our CONFIDANTE, FRIEND and ROLE MODEL due to Pulmonary Fibrosis crumbled our lives.

He was a chain smoker from the age of 14. From that day, we vowed to save young lives caught in trauma due to addictions. This is how WINGS OF HOPE was born.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO  LAUNCH AMERICAN CHAPTER OF WINGS OF HOPE?

Recently when we immigrated to the United States. We were spending sleepless nights, as we observed our underage peers vaping E-Cigarettes. When we conducted a survey, we were baffled to find that out of 3,000 students, 97% use flavoured E- Cigarettes, 90% vaped Juul, 85% of the ages of 12 – 17 year olds vape.

Our classrooms were transformed into VAPING DENS. My twin sister Renee Mendonca and I, Rhea Mendonca felt that we couldn’t remain silent anymore and watch the youth being robbed of their lives due to this evil addiction of Vaping E- Cigarettes. This inspired us to form the American Chapter of Wings of Hope.

WHAT TRIGGERED YOU TO WRITE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, GOVERNORS OF 50 STATE IN USA, ?

The death of our 17 year Instagram friend due to VAPING left us devastated. So we took matters into our hands by putting pen to paper and started writing letters to President Donald Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governors of the 50 States in America demanding to ban E- Cigarettes in whole of USA.

We received letters of appreciation from Governors of the 50 States in America.

Due to the magnitude of our actions, we realised at the age of 16, it created a SNOWBALL EFFECT. New York was the First State to ban Flavoured E-Cigarettes, followed by 10 States in America.

WHAT EFFECT DID YOUR LETTER HAVE ON E-CIGARETTE COMPANY JUUL?

We accidentally came across the advertisement by E-Cigarette Company, JUUL on Social Media “SAVE ROOM FOR TASTY TREATS AND REWARDS”.

We wrote a letter to E-Cigarette Company, JUUL, them expressing our disapproval how they were using social media to target underage teenagers where Middle and High School students live.

We also protested about the sweet dessert flavours they were using such as Gummy Bears, Cotton Candy, Creme, Mango to entice teenagers and hook them to Nicotine. It was a JESUS MOMENT for us.

We felt we were like MISSIONARIES sent to America to save lives of youth due to VAPING. E-Cigarette Company, JUUL withdrew all Social Media Marketing Campaigns and flavored pods targeted at youth. 

HOW DID TO TURN INTO STRONG OPINIONATED YOUNG LEADERS?

At the Dinner table, my mom would throw at us different Global issues and each of us had to give our opinion. This developed us into young leaders who were not afraid to voice our  opinion and to stand up for injustice in this world. 

HOW CAN VAPING ADDICTS CONTACT YOU?

Wings of Hope is a youth led organisation to help youth all over the world. Till date we have helped 1,50,000 youth from USA, UK, Nigeria, South  Africa, Kenya, Nicaragua, Haiti, Mexico, Columbia, Cuba, Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Australia and India.

The vaping addicts can send us a SECRET LETTER about the trauma they are facing and ask for help on on our INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @wings_ofhope and Email- wingsofhope555@gmail.com 

HOW DO YOU SPREAD AWARENESS OF DANGERS OF VAPING?

We share our wisdom on QUORA, MEDIUM and write on international teen magazines to caution the youth of dangers of VAPING.

We also utilized the use social media to spread awareness to the youth. We also made youtube videos urging President Donald Trump, E-Cigarette Companies to STOP E-  Cigarettes in whole of USA.

I HAVE HEARD YOU HAVE COMPOSED YOUR OWN LYRICS TO SPREAD MESSAGE OF ANTI-VAPING?

WE KNOW YOUTH LOVE MUSIC. SO WE USED OUR TALENT OF WRITING AND SINGING TO COMPOSE OUR OWN LYRICS AND “ BREAK FREE FROM ADDICTIONS” to inspire the youth to choose LIFE and give up VAPING. SING A SONG.

WHAT WAS SPECIAL OF YOUR 17TH BIRTHDAY?

For our 17th birthday we traded our birthday presents to save the lives of the youth addicted to vaping by asking all our friends, relatives and well wishers to donate to our favorite charity ST JUDE HOSPITAL as our BIRTHDAY GIFT.

We felt truly blessed to celebrate our birthday – FOR A  WORTHY CAUSE BIGGER THAN OURSELVES. We raised $1,50,000 dollars.

WHAT INVALUABLE GIFT DID U GET FROM YOUR MOM?.

At the beginning of every school year my mom would handover us an EMPTY BUCKET.

My mom said, “Everyday I want you to fill this bucket with a minimum of 10 GOOD DEEDS”

At the end of the day, she would ask us what good deeds we have done towards our peers, teachers, blue-collared staff, strangers and animals. This ritual imbibed in us a practice of being an angel in our community. Doing good came naturally to us.

How do u celebrate THANKSGIVING?

We had a special RITUAL at THANKSGIVING. At the begnining of the year, each of us had a GRATITUDE JAR with our name on it.

Every morning we had to write a minimum of 10 things we are grateful for and drop it in the Gratitude Jar before rushing off to school.

At Thanksgiving we would empty our jar and read aloud what each one is grateful for.

It was a competition. My mom was the judge for the event. The person with most items in the GRATITUDE JAR won a PRIZE.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE NIGHT RITUAL? 

From the age of 3 at bedtime, my mom she would always share with us life lessons and stories of great women and men like Mother Theresa, Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.

We grew up believing we were sent to this world with a MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD. This is our favourite NIGHT RITUAL TILL DATE. We look forward to this time together. It is a time of bonding, sharing and celebrating the good in this world. 

HOW DO U FEEL WINNING THE INTERNATIONAL UN YOUTH SERVICE AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE GLOBALLY?

We feel honored and happy to receive the AWARD. We do not do it for the recognition, but do it to save the lives of youth caught in the web of vaping. Our hearts break into a million pieces every time we read that a youth has died due to vaping.

BIOGRAPHY: 

Rhea Mendonca and Renee Mendonca, 17 year old twins are social entrepreneurs, activists, humanitarians, composer and singer of songs.

They are currently  Seniors at Susan E Wagner high school. They are Co- Founders of Wings of Hope, a Global Not For Profit Organisation, Co-Founder and President of Model UN Club in their School.

They are advisors on QUORA, writers for the International Teen Magazine, Youtubers, Bloggers at Medium.

They have podcasts about our Wings of Hope, Not For Profit on spotify, apple podcasts, itunes. So far, Wings of Hope  has helped 1,50,000 youth from countries like Haiti, Africa, Nicaragua, Srilanka, Pakistan, India addicted to VAPING. 

When children of their age were playing with toys, riding bikes, playing video games Renee and Rhea every Sunday used to spend their time visiting ORPHANAGES, HOMES OF DESTITUTE GIRLS AND terminally ill AIDS home giving motivational talks to orphans in destitute and aids home from the age of ten. 

Mendonca twins, Renee Mendonca and Rhea Mendonca besides holding Leadership roles in their school are HONOR ROLL STUDENTS and belong to the prestigious NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY. They are Mathematics and Science National Level Olympiads Champions.

If you liked this article checkout our article about vaping: Is vaping good for teenagers?

Keeping Fit And Trim With A Low Carb Diet

They say that losing weight and keeping it off is tough, but the good news is that there is a way to keep obesity at bay without going hungry.

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noting that nearly one in five children/youths aged six to 19 in America has obesity, teens don’t need to go hungry to feel their very best.

One diet you may have read a lot about is the ‘keto’ or low carbohydrate diet. For many teens, it’s attractive because you don’t have to count calories and you can easily eat out without having to tell anyone you’re on a diet. Is the low carb diet effective though? What does science say?

Low Carb Diets Can Help You Burn More Calories

Although the emphasis of diets like keto are on consuming low percentages of carbohydrates, weight loss can be enhanced if you also burn more calories.

A 2018 study by scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital found that eating fewer carbohydrates can help you burn more calories, thus aiding in weight maintenance as well as weight loss.

If you have successfully taken off excess pounds, take note: most people regain the weight they have lost in one to two years, partly because their body adapts to eating fewer calories.

By adding low carb in to the equation, you can boost your metabolism and keep weight off in the long-term. Eating low carb can also stand you in good stead when you reach adulthood.

This is because as a teen, your metabolism is faster than it will be when you hit your 30s, 40s or 50s. By becoming accustomed to a low-sugar, high-protein style of eating, you can keep your internal machine running at full steam ahead, thus keeping adult obesity at bay.

Start Your Day With A Low Carb Breakfast

Your body is still growing, and if you do sport at school or on an extra-curricular basis, you will need plenty of energy throughout the day.

The good news about low carb diets is that they can help you battle fatigue and keep energy levels stable all day.

A University of British Columbia study found that having a high protein, low-carb diet can help keep your glucose levels stable, not only for the hours following breakfast, but also for a full 24 hours.

This means that you are less likely to feel fatigued and to reach for unhealthy, sugary foods to give you a lift. One of the best things about a low carb breakfast is how easy it is to make.

A spinach or mixed veggie omelette can be made in under five minutes, yet is super yummy. You can also have a cheat breakfast once in a while, following lazy keto principles and enjoying foods like bacon and eggs, or a low-carb muffin topped with melted cheese.

Lazy keto essentially involves keeping your carbohydrate content to under 20 grams a day.

Is Low Carb The Only Solution?

In order to lose weight, it’s important to find a diet that most suits your lifestyle. Research has shown that low calorie diets and low carb diets can be equally efficient.

The key is to be consistent and to back a sound nutritional regimen with daily physical activity. Aim for a combination of cardio and weights workouts to build muscles and burn calories.

Doctors recommend that teens aged 13 to 18 enjoy at least one hour of moderate to vigorous activity a day. At the very least, you should be aiming for three half-hour sessions.

Think activities that might appeal to your friends as well – including dance, cycling, and choreographed weights routines.

This way, you can head to the gym together for a workout and a healthy low-carb smoothie afterwards.

If you would like to lose a little weight, think about the different options open to you. Sometimes, simply being more active can help tone and shape you in the way you wish.

If obesity is an issue, then embrace a healthy diet, consulting with your parents and doctor on an appropriate and ‘doable’ duty for your lifestyle.

Written By: Katlyn Upson

For more cool news checkout Durrelliott.com

Body language can tell a person everything about you

Body language explores the way we use our bodies to communicate, the way we hold ourselves, the way we sit, stand, and point our hands, feet, and eyes can all reveal how we are feeling in any given situation.

Have you ever talked to someone and they say to you “ I know your lying because when you lie you always play with your hair” or “I can tell when you’re nervous because when you’re nervous you bite your nails”

I’m sure we can all agree to this, body language signs can reveal ourselves through the emotions we portray.

According to Author Elizabeth Kuhnke, body language explores the way we use our bodies to communicate, the way we hold ourselves, the way we sit, stand, and point our hands, feet, and eyes can all reveal how we are feeling in any given situation.  

Your body language can determine if You’re lying, or incredibly nervous

Ways people determine if a person is nervous or lying is, Poor or no eye contact, most people tend to look away because they tend to fear your reaction and they usually don’t have confidence in their message and their body reveals it.  

Signs of nervousness include covering your mouth, sweating, shaking of the body, and licking your lips. People tend to do this because they are very shy, or they are not very sociable.

Ways to determine if someone is showing positive emotions or negative emotions.

Every human experiences emotion, they are a part of our lives. We all experience positive and negative emotions and if you don’t then you are not human.  

Happiness, joy, excitement, love, and interest are examples of positive emotions and positive emotions feel good.  

Examples of Negative emotions

Examples of negative emotions are sadness, anger, jealousy, fear, or rejection, I’m sure we have all experienced those.

That’s especially true when they say people feel a negative emotion too often, too strongly, or we dwell on it too long. Negative emotions are impossible to avoid.

Though, everyone feels them from time to time. They may be difficult, but you can learn to handle them.

3 Ways to show confidence with your body language.

Many may struggle with showing confidence, so here are some body language tips to show confidence in your body language.

1. Good eye contact
2. Stand up straight
3. Smile.

1. Good Eye Contact

Good eye contact, Good eye contact shows others that you are interested and comfortable.

If you have low eye, contact it shows others that you don’t want to engage in conversation or have interest interacting.

2. Stand Up Straight

Second, stand up straight and tall with your shoulders relaxed back, standing up straight is one of the most important things to show confidence through body language.

By doing this it shows that you are comfortable around that person. Standing up straight is one of the key components of someone determining if you are confident or not.

3. Smile

Last but not least Smile, everyone loves a genuine smile, a smile can change someone’s day. It shows that you are a nice person.

If you walk past someone and you show them your award-winning smile, most likely they are going to smile back.  

Be Confident in who you are

According to Xiaoling Yang “Body language means action, expression, and posture with something meaningful”.

Body language explores the way we use our bodies to communicate, the way we present ourselves, the way we sit, stand, and eyes can all reveal how we are feeling in any given situation.

Body language leaves a first impression; First impressions can tell you a lot about a person without even meeting them.

Many people have different body languages that’s just who they are, showing confident body language helps reduce stress and anxiety. Confidence is key.

For more cool news checkout Durrelliott.com

Teen vaping: what you need to know

Vaping for teenagers has became a big thing. Many teens love to vape, you can’t get mad at them or judge them for choosing to do this. If they can afford to buy the product then they have the every right to use it.

I see teen vaping almost everywhere I go pretty much. It has truly taken the world by storm.

I am just here to tell teenagers the precautions of why vaping is bad for them, now it is totally up to you guys on how you decide to live your lives. I am just here to help! 

How did vaping become so popular for teenagers?

Vaping for teenagers has increased tremendously. Here is a mind blowing teenage vaping statistic, Seventy-five percent of teenagers today vape.

Teenagers see vaping as a safer and less dangerous alternative to smoking cigarettes. Because there have been commercials about how cigarettes are so bad and deadly, e-cigarettes were invented, which are battery powered devices which allow anyone to smoke.

Some people say vape and e-cigarettes are bad for you, but others say they are not harmful. Vaping can hurt teenagers in ways that they might not even know. Vaping causes many health problems, contains addicting traits and has even been cases of teenage vaping deaths.

How easily teenagers can get vapes.

Firstly, vaping can hurt people and is an alternative version of a real cigarette. Many teenagers have the advantage in today’s society, which is the internet, that I like to call easy access.

Many teenagers are able to purchase vapes online just by ordering them but only if they are eighteen years or older.

It allows you access to vapes without any further questions so you can easily pretend to be an older age and that allows you to buy whatever vape product you want.

Kids, even at the early age of seven, have been caught vaping by their parents. If teenagers can have this amount of easy access in today’s society, imagine what they can get in the future. The internet needs better security with age limits.

How teenagers can become addicted to vaping.

Furthermore, many of the vapes contain addicting traits. Vaping causes many people to get addicted to nicotine (webmd.com). Because they use it so much. They cost less money so you are able to use them more. They also contain substances like nicotine in them, which cause people to become addicted.

They also have many options and flavors to choose from. Which can lead to people becoming addicted. Vaping is the new trend now, so many teenagers will want to try it because it’s hot and kids love fitting in with the new trends; it’s just the way life goes. Vaping simulates real life smoking, it’s just in a different form. 

Teen vaping linked to more health risks

Vaping causes several health problems. It may seem healthy at the beginning and many people say it’s water vapor so it’s fine.

Vaping can cause many harmful things to your body such as popcorn lungs and heart disease. It can harm the development of kids, it can cause cancer and is it is a public health concern.

Many people don’t see public issues about vaping but there are stories in the world about vaping that we just don’t hear about. Honestly, I get uncomfortable around people vaping because I have asthma and I feel concerned that it could affect my breathing.

So I just decide not to participate in it. We should try not inhale anything else but clean fresh oxygen. 

Deciding as a teenager whether to vape or not

I’m not saying you cant vape or that you shouldn’t I am just trying to inform you the other side of this topic. I want teenagers to know what they are getting into before they actually do it, if you decide to vape thats your choice it’s your life but just make sure that you are responsible.

For more interesting teen news checkout Durrelliott.com!

World Obesity is a rising challenge the world faces

According to Thrive Global, nearly 604 million adults and 108 million children around the world meet the criteria for obesity. I and many others struggle with obesity because the accessibility to food is unbelievable.

We can access food anytime they want due to fast food restaurants being open twenty-four seven.

I know this from experience because I am guilty of this; going on late night food runs with your friends and stuffing our faces until we cannot eat anymore. 

I love food just like everyone else, some people eat more food than others for different reasons.

One of the biggest reasons why people overeat is because we love to fill our plates with extra food.

Dinner plates have increased with more portions of food, it has become popular to serve food on huge white plates.

Second obesity factor is tiredness.

People mistake symptoms of tiredness for hunger.

Third, people always feel hungry, but that feeling is really thirst.  

Some of the leading causes of obesity throughout the world are genetics, food availability, and sugar. The biggest thing that stood out to me is genetics.

Genetics can have the biggest influence on a person’s health and obesity rate.

The first article I researched was, “In the researched was, “10 Leading Causes of Weight Gain and Obesity” by Kris Gunnars.

In the article, it states, “Obesity has a strong genetic component. Children of obese parents are much more likely to become obese than children of lean parents.” (Gunnars).

Food availability is another huge component too and junk food

Everywhere, whether it is in stores, or vending machines, you can literally get them at any time you choose.

Stores are displaying these junk foods to catch your eye, so you purchase them. A huge problem is that junk food is way cheaper than healthy food products, or whole foods.

This occurs heavily in the United States. That is why the obesity in america is very high.

I did not realize how much sugar was really in a serving size of a candy bar or junk food. Junk food is mostly all sugar and people need to read the label before they eat that food.

Sugar is one of the main causes of weight gain.

Humans need sugar for their bodies to function, but these junk foods contain an overwhelming amount of sugar.

Eating too much sugar can cause problems throughout the body and can cause you to get diabetes.

People who eat junk food, they should eat them in small portions, this causes the body to takie in less sugar.

Doctors recommend people drink about around eight glasses of water a day which is around a half gallon.

Some struggle with this issue, people enjoy their meals with other delicious beverages such as: like alcohol, pop, or juice.

The best strategy for drinking a gallon of water a day is to drink periodically throughout the day.

Everyone might not time to drink water in portions of the day because of their busy schedule.

Another personal recommendation is to drink right when you awake before to sleep or drink during your meals.   

Sometimes you may feel like you need cheesecake or pizza, and nothing else will do.

We tend to feel if we eat the food we are craving it cause the crsving to go away.

But in reality that is where we are wrong.

Food contains opioids which is an ingredient that is in drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

Food can activate the brain’s pleasure and reward system causing food to become an addiction. This causes food to take away the pain because food feels rewarding to some people.   

As I did more researching, I found a huge thing that links to world obesity is bullying.

The number of children who are bullied about their obesity is horrific.

The second article I reaserched

“How Obesity and Bullying Are Connected” by Sherri Gordon. In this article, it stated, “Moreover, the amount of abuse a child receives is often directly related to his or her weight. ” (Gordon).

The fact kids get bullied for being overweight is disgusting.

Kids should not be bullied just because they have different physical appearances than others.

Some kids eat food to escape and use it as comfort, food can provide this feeling for people.

Some believe they can “eat their sorrows away” as people say. Childhood obesity has increased drastically.

When we feel hungry, pretty much any food near sounds delicious.

We tend to ease toward our favorite junk food or sugary snacks.

We find any excuse to eat them and they provide us with an instant rush.    

I never knew that this much bullying happened to kids who are obese

People need to open their eyes about this subject. Everyone teases or has been teased at some point in their lives.

I did not know how many kids who are obese bully other kids because they are smaller.

Sherri Gordon also stated her article that, “Most studies suggest that obese children bully because they are either reflecting the same behavior they’ve experienced or are acting preemptively to discourage others from bullying them. Rather than seeing their weight as a deficit, obese bullies will use their size to their advantage, allowing them to wield more power over a smaller victim.” (Gordon).

Kids who are obese bully other kids to boost their confidence, inside they are the ones who are really insecure.  

Bullies aim for smaller kids because of their smaller figure.

When in reality, they wish they were as skinny as the person they are bullying.

Also, they do this to get attention and to feel powerful because inside they feel powerless.

I believe that more kids need to be more informed on how terrible bullying is.

There should be more bully prevention groups throughout society and schools.

Kids who are bullied need to feel like they are able to talk to someone.

Everyone has insecurities whether it is looks, weight, or physical appearance.  

After I discovered that bullying can cause obesity, I came across an article that discusses emotional eating. The article is, “Emotional Eating” by Help Guide. The article went in depth on ways to help stop emotional eating.

The tips they suggested were: exercise, replacing your favorite junk food with vegetables, or adding more healthy foods with a small portion of your favorite junk food.

Exercise is proven to reduce stress and can be an escape for some because its people take all their stress during the workout.  

People love the results of what their body’s look like after they had a nice workout. Replacing junk food with vegetables make your body healthier.

Vegetables provide our bodies with the nutrients we need to stay healthy. If people just will not budge and cannot manage to give away their sweets, they can always eat those sweets but less of them.

You can eat a normal serving size of vegetables and then add a little of your favorite junk food, this allows you to still eat healthy and eat sweets.  

Exercising is one of the main components for decreasing obesity throughout the world as I stated earlier. In the article “1.4 billion people aren’t exercising, WHO reveals. Here’s why that’s a big problem” by Brett Molina.

One in four people worldwide do not participate in physical activity.

Which is increasing the risk for diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Molina states, “This puts more than 1.4 billion adults at risk of developing or exacerbating diseases linked to inactivity, and needs to be urgently addressed,” read an excerpt from the study, which also notes declines in mental health and quality of life for people who don’t exercise enough.” (Molina).

Obesity causes diseases like diabetes and many more people are getting diagnosed due to obesity risk factors. Exercise is needed for every human, exercise keeps your body durable and your bones healthy.

The standard requirement for people to participate in physical activity is at least twice a week, one hundred and fifty minutes per week or seventy-five minutes per week if you do extreme workouts.

Numerous studies have shown that exercise and a healthy diet can lower the risk of health problems such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Just by exercising, a healthy diet, other factors such as drinking water and no drug activity could add up to more than ten years to your life expectancy.

Studies have shown that women were less physically active than men, with 32 percent of women failing to exercise enough, compared to 23 percent of men.  

Countries with higher incomes tend to show higher rates of inactivity because they are doing more social like eating out, vacations, or hanging with friends. The regions with the highest rates of inactivity include Latin America and the Caribbean (39 percent), high-income Western countries (37 percent) and high-income Asia Pacific countries (36 percent)” (Molina).

In low-income countries, the percentage of physically inactive is lowered, this is because people don’t have the luxury of doing these social activities such as a person who could afford the luxury lifestyle.  

If you do not eat healthy, or exercise then you can become very sick with diseases such as Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These diseases can lead to serious health issues throughout life and can even lead to death.

In the article “Links between obesity and mental health” by Clinical Advisor. The article states that the risk obesity can do more than just hurt your physical health, it also can affect you mentally, “Recent studies have shown that many cases of obesity are the result of such mental illnesses as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), binge eating disorder, and night eating syndrome” (Clinical Advisor).

Economic characteristics are also associated with childhood obesity.

The main link between mental health and obesity can vary based on individuals: gender, race, ethnicity, and culture or structural.   

For example, obesity rates are higher for children growing up in poor families and families with low incomes than for children from higher-income families.

A person with a larger income has the accessibility of choosing more foods than a person who is receiving a lower income, this mostly occurs in minority populations.

Age links to obesity as well, the highest obesity age varies. The highest obesity rate linked to men aged fifty to fifty-four and women aged sixty to sixty-four. The youngest ages that link to obesity are ten to fourteen. Obesity rates increase as children grow older in age.  

Before I did my research

I never know that race had relations with obesity, I thought only income, culture and gender only played large roles in links to obesity.

Studies have found that in America African Americans are the most obese, Hispanics are second, and White/Caucasian is last. African Americans are number one because they eat a lot of fried foods, I know this because in a lot of black cultures that is what they predominantly serve.

In most African American culture’s healthy foods like vegetables and fruits are not served as much as they should be. These foods that are in the African Cultures are cornbread, fried catfish, BBQ ribs, chitterlings, and neckbones.

Many may not know what these foods are, but they are not very healthy because they contain a lot of sodium and carbohydrates. Another reason why African Americans are the highest obese in America is because they like to use a lot of salt on their food, this creates the food to have more flavor.  

Throughout all my research I have found out many different things, I found out that there are more causes to obesity than what the common eye sees.

I also learned that kids go through depression and get bullied for simply just being overweight.

Obesity can lead to many health issues as well, many that I have never heard of or never imagined that could possibly link to obesity.

Obesity is a rising issue that many around the world are facing, if people are not careful this will become a bigger issue than what it is now.

More people must become more aware of these issues and the precautions that come with it. Store owners need to lower their prices on vegetables and fruits, this will increase everyone to eat healthier because the prices are reasonable.  

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