As part of our commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles within the African-American community, we are sharing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new healthy food choice template – My Plate – that replaces the Food Pyramid as the suggested dietary guideline for Americans. According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 51% of Black women and 37% of Black men over 20 years old are obese. Obesity can lead to a number of serious, chronic illnesses that can shorten life expectancy. Overall, 13% of Black Americans are considered in fair or poor health. The place to begin improving our health status is healthy food choices. First Lady Michelle Obama has made tackling childhood obesity a priority of the Obama administration and has launched a Let’s Move! initiative to encourage physical activity and healthy eating habits.





Source: U.S.D.A.