Blame for Black Obesity: a Culture of Disowned Bodies

I read and responded to this article on FaceBook. When I realized it was nearly 500 words I decided that is should also be a blog post:

The subject of African-Americans and their relationship to their bodies is something that I have been wondering about for some time. I am not so sociologist, however a friend said that if ever I needed a PhD topic this might be it. It is my opinion that many of the lasting problems faced by African-Americans stems from not really relating to our own bodies. We made a culture of separation from the corporeal to protect ourselves from the legal reality that others “owned” our bodies. I think it is crucial for us to reconnect within this generation.

http://thegrio.com/2012/07/23/is-the-black-church-partially-to-blame-for-obesity/

This is the “comment” I left:

This article is a little thin on reasoning, but I think that it is not entirely wrong in its assertion. The scientist among you will agree that environment and heredity work together to make a person obese and one's culture is a big part of their environment. Christian or not the black church is part of black culture.

What I would be more interested to hear is if obesity is, in fact, one if the lasting effects of slavery. I mean more than soul food. I assert that within a reality where ones' very body was not their own African American resorted to a culture that created a buffer from that harsh inhumane reality. The black church is an institution of this culture. Obesity is just a single symptom of this hold over.

The church seems to emphasize the disembodied afterlife of the soul, King appealed to our hearts, Dubois advised us to develop our minds. I know so many spiritual, living & educated blacks who would never think twice about their corporeal existence. 

In fact, the only persistent media image of a physically focused black person is in jail or sports, and the only fit women pictured are sexual objects. (That is another topic for another day.) I'm sure you want people to think of you as only a jock, criminal or prostitute. This is the often the image that African-Americans feel they have to fight against.

I am not a sociologist but I wonder if obesity is only one symptom, violence in the home towards children is another. Anyone ever heard the phase, "Give your heart to Jesus, because your behind is mine." it is a completely ridiculous thing to say, ones body is intact their own! And the justification the that what the sheriff (read: lynch mob) would do to a disobedient black child  would be far worse than a beating at the hands of a parent is out of date logic. Base again on the idea that the 'law' has rights to brown bodies. How does this effect violence in the community? For those of you who are blessed not to know this, you can't go jogging in a violent neighborhood.

Our disgust, disdain, closeted distance from all things sexual is yet another symptom of a culture that has yet to take full ownership our bodies. The result is HIV infection rates much higher than the general population. (Granted, incarceration also figures prominently) Why teach your son or daughter to negotiate for good-to-you good-for-you, safe(r) sex, with appropriate birth control, when you have trouble with even talking about the desires of your own beautiful blessed sacred body. Could this disembodiment be at least partially responsible for low breastfeeding rates? By the way, breastfeeding can be linked to healthier weight for mom and baby down the road.

We have trouble advocating for, protecting, and LOVING a thing with which we do not completely connect. The black body is not celebrated it is watched, raped, hunted, singled out, over sexualized, misunderstood, maligned and made fun of by the popular culture every day. No wonder we, work on our souls, and brains and communities rather than put on some shorts and go effen jog, for jogging sake. Moreover, we have cannot demand a stop to this until we ourselves value the blessing of vessels we have been given. To this end mindful eating, exercise, non-violent home life for everyone, sex education and a return of the black is beautiful mantra.

<Steps down from soap box>

Of course, I pride myself on having a non-violent home. I make it a daily point to celebrate my children everyday, especially their tangled curly hair, golden skin and brown eyes. I make sure they get to run, climb, jump and make the most of the bodies they have been given. I know they will not always eat organic food, heck, they may decide not to be vegetarian. I think that it is particularly important that they love, respect and nurture their bodies because history has not.  Do you think that there is more to African-American obesity than fried chicken and macaroni and cheese? Tell me about it.

 

5 Things I Resent About Being Pregnant

I am not pregnant, just in case you were wondering. Actually I wrote this 6 years ago, when I was just a little bit pregnant with K-dog. Which was not only my first pregnancy,  but when well before I started to blog. This week I was thinking of reviving and old blog post, but this is even better. I wrote this email to a couple of my extra congratulatory childless friends.  The fact that this was 6 years ago (almost exactly) makes it just that much more funny (and tragic).  Things never turn out the way you expect them. A couple of my internet, and real life friends have just had babies, or gotten pregnant. There is always the appeal of the sweet smelling, squishy, little baby... Don't get me wrong, I love my babies, and there are really lots of great things about being a mom. But this is my reality cheack to all of the baby bump envy out there.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kisha Patterson-Tanski <kisha.lynn@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Mar 23, 2006 at 6:57 PM
Subject: Five things that I resent about being … well you know… with symbiant, I mean child.

9 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy,
apparently I didn't learn my lesson!

1. I do not like eating and sleeping all the time, especially when I can't tell the people at work why I've suddenly started gaining weight, and putting my head on my keyboard because I'm afraid they'll cheat me out of my well deserved raise. No one seems to understand that I am either hungry or nauseous all the time and therefore feel like I have a tapeworm instead of a baby. Now where are the carrot sticks I hid in my desk?

2. I resent that NO ONE has asked or will ask my husband if he will be returning to work full time.  We both will be parents right? He has much more experience with babies being the oldest of four; I have NEVER changed a diaper.

Finland's Baby Box

I saw this and it brought tears to my eyes. In Finland every baby gets just a few essentials from the government. And while I know that I probably wouldn't have needed it, I received 35 green bodysuits at my baby shower from enthusiastic family and friends, the idea of a country and and a culture that starts out every life with a gift is something special. There is much debate about an the American welfare state on one hand, and even if a woman should be able to have an abortion. I can't settle this debate here, but reading about this made me cry.  What if every child entered this life know that everyone was looking out for him or her, and wanted to make sure that their first few months were at least warm and safe?  Even the box it comes in can double as a bassinet.  Its just the basic hospitality that we  could give a new life.  Most of us have friends or families that do that, or at least the wealth the buy the odd blanket or diaper.

I feel like the Finnish people fully expect each infant recipient of this grant to become and law abiding productive member of society, and imagine that there is the belief that it is the child parents that are held most responsible for this. But why not start off with a well thought out gift that says, "Hey, this is what you might need to get started; we're pulling for your success."  I got a letter stating that my insurance company was charged $2,000 for an anesthesiologist that I never saw.  I felt that our system, and my culture were saying, "Congratulations, you had a baby, now its easier for us to scam you.  Now back to work."  I think we can do that a bit better, and make stronger families and healthier happier children in the end. Its not really about being the "nanny state", it's about investing in the lives of one another.

This is what you'd find in the what's called the Maternity Package can be found here.  What did you get from you're society when you had a baby?

Nine days

Nine days
Give or take, until the baby's due. This pregnancy hasn't been what I
expected it to be at all. I knew it would be different from my
first pregnancy, but I thought I'd still know what to expect. I've
gained less weight, felt more healthy over all, less asthma swelling
and leg pain, the baby is bigger, but I'm more anxious about the birth.
I'm getting so excited about meeting this new baby! Every day, I think
that this may be the day. I guess I remember how amazing it was meet
Kiran for the first time. I get amazed by Kiran everyday, he's so
sweet, and smart and I love his imagination.
The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind, but for some reason I
can't wait!

Kisha Lynn Patterson-Tanski
Sent from my iPhone

I know its been a while

Very much has happened in the last months: Kiran's growing each day, and I've been very busy with work, both very exciting. But the most exciting thing to have happened in the last few months is that I've found out that I'm pregnant again! some part of me is a little surprised that I'm up for it all that again, but I guess so. I'll be 10 weeks pregnant on Tuesday so that will put my due date at May 24th, but you know they should never give you a due date, it more like we'll have a Taurus/ Gemini cusp child. I'll be posting the tummy pictures here and facebook