Trucking Is Not What It Used to Be
Recently, it was reported that the health of truckers is very poor and this puts the lives of others, who share the road with them, in peril. The lifestyle of these men and women is not ideal because of very poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and in my opinion, their ill-suited insight about health issues.
I have seen several truckers who have had their keys taken away because of elevated blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea. The companies for whom they work are demanding that they resolve their health issues. It comes as a major surprise that too many of them cannot make changes overnight for uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure.
Another realty facing truckers is the fact that they cannot return to work until the health issues are addressed.
History of Love, Grace, and Redemption
The Tuskegee experiments have largely gone unappreciated regarding their effect on the African American community, almost 40 years later.
In 1977, President Bill Clinton invited the eight survivors to the White House to formally apologize for one of the “most macabre clinical trials in American history.”
During this ceremony, Herman Shaw, one of the study participants, made these comments, “The wounds that were inflicted upon us cannot be undone. I’m saddened today to think of those who did not survive and whose families will forever live with the knowledge that their death and suffering was preventable. In order for America – black, red, white together – trusting each other, caring for each other and never allowing the kind of tragedy which has happened to us in the Tuskegee study to ever happen again.”
It is a part of our DNA to show, love, redemption, and forgiveness.
“I’ll be All Right,” Famous Last Words of a Sick Black Man
You may have experienced an African American man, in health distress, say “I’ll be all right,” regardless of the current or future gravity of the illness. Recently, I was talking to one of my patients who indicated that he would not allow his family to call 911,...
Exercise is Medicine for Older Americans
This health tip is for people older than 50 years of age. Fifty is a young age in 2016. African Americans who exercise improved their overall quality and longevity. Current studies reveal that people who live in the southern area of the country are less likely to be...
Black Women Suffer After the Traumatic Death of Black Men
I have observed, over the past several months, African American men die violently on our streets and in our neighborhoods. The subsequent focus is on the imminent grieving of the loved one, particularly, mothers, wives, sisters, or female significant others. These...
Remember, I Love You
African Americans, historically, have not been very transparent about a family medical history regarding mental issues. Some think that death from suicide does not occur in the black community. This certainly is not the case. Death from suicide has increased over...
Erectile Dysfunction (ED), an Early Predictor of Prediabetes
It has been suggested that the first encounter African Americans have with a primary care physician is for early childhood immunizations, childhood diseases, or a sports physical. A subsequent relationship with a physician is usually absent unless there is an injury...
Home Cooked Meals Are Encouraged
The manner in which we live and manage our activities and actions contributes greatly to the medical problems that are experienced today. As you reflect, obesity was not a health several decades ago. Research reveals that the consumption of fast food is directly...