Jennie-O Turkey Store, a Willmar, Minn. establishment, is recalling approximately 54,960 pounds of frozen, raw turkey burger products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced. Officials said as FSIS continues its investigation of illnesses related to this recall, additional raw turkey products may be recalled. As a result, the agency is alerting consumers to take extra care when preparing all raw turkey products.

To prevent salmonellosis and other foodborne illnesses, wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry, and cook poultry–including ground turkey burgers–to 165 ° F, as determined with a food thermometer, according to food safety guidelines issued by the agency.The products subject to recall include:

4-pound boxes of Jennie-O Turkey Store ® “All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat”. Each box contains 12 1/3-pound individually wrapped burgers.

A use by date of “DEC 23 2011” and an identifying lot code of “32710” through “32780” are inkjetted on the side panel of each box, just above the opening tear strip. Establishment number “P-7760” is located within the USDA mark of inspection on the front of each box. The products were packaged on Nov. 23, 2010 and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

As a result of the epidemiologic investigation, FSIS determined that there is a link between the Jennie-O ground turkey products and this illness outbreak.

Lebanon bologna products recalled

Palmyra Bologna Company, Inc., a Palmyra, Penn., establishment, is recalling approximately 23,000 pounds of Lebanon bologna products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, FSIS announced. Lebanon bologna is a fermented, semi-dry sausage. This beef product has an appearance similar to salami.

The products subject to recall in packaging for consumers include:

6-ounce packages of “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot code “01351” and best-by date of “Apr. 20 2011” printed on the package.

12-ounce packages of “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot code “01351” and best-by dates of “Apr. 20 2011” or “Apr. 21 2011” printed on the package.

16-ounce packages of “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot code “01351” and best-by date of “Apr. 22 2011” printed on the package.

Each package bears a label with establishment number “EST. 474” inside the USDA mark of inspection, in addition to lot code “01351” and the best-by date as noted above. The products subject to recall were produced in December 2010 and were sent to distribution centers in Calif., Colo., Md., N.Y. and Pa. for further distribution to retail stores.

The products subject to recall in packaging for retailers include:

Whole chub packages of “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot codes “01351” or “06337” and best-by date of “Feb. 14 2011,” “Feb. 15 2011,” “Feb. 16 2011,” or “Feb. 28 2011” printed on the package.

Half chub packages of “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot codes “01351” or “06337” and best-by date of “Apr. 6 2011,” “Apr. 7 2011,” “Apr. 16 2011,” or “Apr. 19 2011,” printed on the package.

12-pound bulk boxes of sliced “SELTZER’S BEEF LEBANON BOLOGNA” with lot code “01351” and best-by date of “Apr. 21 2011” printed on the package.

Each package bears a label with establishment number “EST. 474” inside the USDA mark of inspection, in addition to either lot code “06337” or “01351.” They were sold to retailers and may have been further sliced and repackaged at retail. The products subject to recall were produced in December 2010 and were sent to distribution centers in Calif., Colo., Md., N.Y. and Pa. for further distribution to retail stores.

Kansas firm recalls ground beef products

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, an Arkansas City, Kan., establishment, is recalling approximately 14,158 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to FSIS.

The products subject to recall include:

Approx. 40-pound cases of “BEEF FINE GRIND 81/19 NATURAL,” containing 10-pound chubs. These products have an identifying product code of “80185.”

Approx. 40-pound cases of “BEEF CHUCK FINE GRIND 81/19 NATURAL,” containing 10-pound chubs. These products have an identifying product code of “80285.”

Approx. 40-pound cases of “BEEF SIRLOIN FINE GRIND 91/9 NATURAL,” containing 10-pound chubs. These products have an identifying product code of “80495.”

Approx. 40-pound cases of “BEEF FINE GRIND 90/10 NATURAL,” containing 5-pound chubs. These products have an identifying product code of “85165.”

Approx. 60-pound cases of “BEEF FINE GROUND 93/7,” containing 10-pound chubs. These products have an identifying product code of “86191.”

Each case label bears the establishment number “EST. 27” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced on Feb. 22, 2011, and were shipped to firms in Ariz., Calif., Ga., Ind., Iowa, Mo., N.C., Ohio, Pa. and Wash. for further processing and/or distribution.

The post Turkey burger and other federal food recalls appeared first on Final Call News.

FinalCall.com News Focus: Food, Farming & Black Survival

(FinalCall.com) – With Great Migrations into the 1920s and other important periods in U.S. history, Blacks left the South in droves for perceived opportunities in the North and urban areas–all the time seeking relief and a better way of life–and often to escape outright brutality and death.

Many who fled left behind debilitating poverty, near slave-like sharecropping conditions and even their own property as Whites chased Blacks with land off of their own property.

Those who were left behind still suffered discrimination and injustice handed out by federal, state and local agencies. Black farmers were denied loans, technical expertise, market access and other tools needed for success. The idea of working on a farm was also not an attractive one for people who had toiled the earth for others without seeing true benefit for themselves.

Life in the big city eventually brought changes in diets and today’s near dependence on processed, ready-made food and regular, sometimes daily, trips to fast food restaurants for alluring, often cheap but unhealthy food.

According to a recent report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, Black children see approximately 50 percent more fast food ads than White children and McDonald’s and KFC, formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken, target Black consumers. Black children saw twice as many calories as White children in daily ads and Blacks, on average, watch more TV than Whites, so Black children were more likely to be exposed to the corporate “buy me” barrage of fries, pizza, chips and burgers.

Black children also suffer from disproportionate rates of obesity, juvenile diabetes and other illnesses linked to diet, just as their parents and grandparents suffer disproportionately from obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney failure and some types of cancers. This suffering is all linked to eating the wrong foods and overeating.

Part of the problem is choice. Some research has shown it is often easier to get a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor–or fries and a shake–than a banana, an apple or an orange in poor Black neighborhoods. Some analysts have said Blacks live in “food deserts” with few healthy choices or places to get good, wholesome food. Others say even the term “desert,” is wrong. A desert, they say, is a dry but self-sustaining eco-system. What Blacks suffer from is “food injustice,” argues LaDonna Redmond, a Chicago-based advocate and activist who has tried for years to bring healthy foods to the community.

“The growth of the fast-food industry has been an important environmental inducement for increased food consumption. In the last 20 years, the percentage of calories attributable to fast-food consumption has increased from 3% to 12% of total calories consumed in the United States. U.S. spending on fast food has risen from $6 billion to $110 billion over the last 30 years,” the 2004 American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported in a 2004 article on “Fast Food, Race/Ethnicity, and Income.”

“Fast food is notably high in fat content and studies have found associations between fast food intake and increased body mass index (BMI) and weight gain,” the study found.

“Fast food restaurants have a negative effect on community health and vitality. Almost all of the foods they sell are bad for health; eating fast food has been linked with many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color–where healthy foods are often inaccessible–are disproportionately impacted by an abundance of fast food restaurants and aggressive fast food advertising. Fast food restaurants also cluster around schools, creating unhealthy environments for our young people. In fact, the fast food industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on marketing to children, who, because of their early developmental stage, are particularly vulnerable to such practices. Finally, many fast food jobs are part-time and low-wage, lack benefits, have high turnover, and do not provide quality employment opportunities for community residents. Community efforts to reduce the harmful impact of fast food can focus on policies such as zoning restrictions, menu labeling laws, and restrictions on marketing to children,” said the Prevention Institute’s website. The institute describes itself as a national non-profit committed to preventing illness and injury and fostering health and social equity as part of a quality health system.

Meanwhile as Blacks gained “opportunity”–or fought an often different type of struggle in cities–millions of acres of land were lost. So today Blacks own less than four million acres of land, according to Dr. Ridgley Muhammad, Nation of Islam national student minister of agriculture and manager for Muhammad Farms.

As a result we are a nearly landless people at the mercy of “merchants of death” who place profit above health and wealth above well-being. “There’s tremendous profit in promoting the death-dealing lifestyles that many of us lead. You may not believe it but the leading promoters of our destructive lifestyles are the United States government, the food and drug industries and the medical community,” wrote the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in “A Torchlight for America,” a solution-based book of wisdom and guidance for a country facing a health crisis and ever-escalating health care costs.

Pointing to the divine instruction that came from his teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Minister has repeated the call to eat to live and not to die. “It is now being proven by scientists that what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught on how to eat to live–one meal a day, no snacks in between meals, and to eat only the best foods–is absolutely correct and good for our body,” Minister Farrakhan said.

But beyond the divine wisdom contained in the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and his illuminating works, “How to Eat To Live, Books I & II,” the Minister reminds us of another powerful truth shared by Mr. Elijah Muhammad–We Must Have Some of This Earth To Call Our Own.

Today’s food supply from hormone-laced chicken, cattle and sheep, alongside contaminated fish, pesticide sprayed fruits and genetically-modified crops are not the best food. Much of today’s produce may look good but it actually is lacking in nutritional content.

“So we’re learning how to eat to live, what foods to choose, but now we must be willing to go to the earth and produce that food so that we can extend our days,” said Min. Farrakhan in an interview contained in the center spread of this edition.

In the end, the call for changing our diets and eating patterns and obtaining and working acres of farmland is rooted in a scriptural promise. What promise? “The reason that we are interested in food and raising of food and how–and the correct foods to eat–is because that is the only way we can prolong human life and that is the gift of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad from Allah to teach us what foods to eat and what foods to store in our houses,” said Min. Farrakhan.

The post You are what you eat–and what you grow appeared first on Final Call News.

Campaign to help asthmatic children lead productive lives, reduce hospital visits, stem school absenteeism

CHICAGO – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority embarked upon a national multi-year campaign to educate and enlighten the community about how to manage asthma through its Asthma Prevention and Management Initiative. The program was launched in Tampa on October 20 as part of National Head Start Awareness Month.

The Sorority will then galvanize thousands of members who will fan out to the nearly 1,000 communities worldwide where Alpha Kappa Alpha has chapters. The initiative is expected to reach millions of people afflicted with the disease, with a particular emphasis on reaching minority children.

This campaign is being carried out in partnership with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), a program under the National Institutes of Health. NICHD conducts and supports research on all stages of human development, from preconception to adulthood, to better understand the health of children, adults, families, and communities.

Through AKA’s Asthma Prevention and Management Initiative and, in accordance with its collaboration with the NICHD and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Alpha Kappa Alpha will raise awareness among parents and childhood educators about the treatment of childhood asthma through educational activities, informational forums, health fairs and screenings. The NICHD will participate in the forums and educational outreach efforts and will disseminate information on treatment options as part of the thrust.

According to Attorney Carolyn House Stewart, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s newly-installed International President, Alpha Kappa Alpha was motivated to wage a public education offensive when the Sorority became aware of the pernicious effect asthma has on children’s quality of life and on the nation’s economy.

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), asthma accounts for more visits to the Emergency Room, costs the nation $3.2 billion to treat annually, afflicts 5.6 million school-aged children and can lead to death. Asthma disproportionately afflicts low-income, minority children, a population most vulnerable to the ravages of the disease but a population with few outlets where parents can be informed about the disease and how to manage it. Reaching this population is the core mission of AKA’s Asthma Prevention and Management Initiative.

By definition, asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease in which the airways of the lungs constrict, causing wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. It is a potentially debilitating disease that results in “episodes” when the disease is triggered. The NCCDPHP reports that tobacco smoke, dust mites, furred and feathered animals, molds, chemicals and strong odors in the school environment can trigger asthma attacks.

However, according to the NICHD, children with asthma can lead full and productive lives through proper diagnosis, control of triggers that spark episodes and through overall management. This can be achieved through an aggressive public outreach effort, which is the purpose of the Asthma Prevention and Management Initiative.

Mrs. Stewart said Alpha Kappa Alpha was motivated to wage a public campaign because of her familiarity with the disease, because asthma was becoming an epidemic and because it is a disease that is manageable, with a few lifestyle adjustments. With this knowledge, Attorney Stewart contacted the National Institutes of Health for statistical support. As a result of this outreach, the partnership with NICHD and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) evolved. With the data the agencies provided, Stewart galvanized the Sorority’s membership around this program. The overarching goal of the campaign is to improve the quality of life of children afflicted, boost their attendance in school, and save the country money.

The initiative is a major program under AKA’s new administration, whose theme is “Global Leadership Through Timeless Service.”

The effort is being spearheaded by the Sorority’s Program Committee, which is chaired by Attorney Sharon Bridges of Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Diane L. Adams, M.D., a member of the Sorority, is Project Director of the campaign.

“Every child should be afforded the opportunity to live life to the fullest, including those with asthma,” said President Stewart. “By marshaling AKA’s members around asthma management, we will impact the quality of life of all affected by the ravages of this disease. In so doing, Alpha Kappa Alpha will live up to its 102-year mission of providing service to the community.”

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In the fall of 2009, popular Chicago urban radio personality, international recording artist and writer of the gospel hit songs “Life line,” “Use Me Lord,” and “Gospel Slide” Dana Divine had everything to look forward to. Her Sunday morning gospel radio show was going well, in a few weeks she would be departing for Hawaii with her husband. Then she learned she had breast cancer and within weeks she underwent a double mastectomy. In her first interview since her diagnosis, Dana Divine sat down with Final Call editorial assistant Melissa Muhammad to share her the triumphant story own how she is facing and attempting to overcome breast cancer.

Melissa Muhammad (FC): You’ve gone through something that more and more women are experiencing. You are a breast cancer survivor. Not every woman has such a favorable outcome.

Dana Divine (DD): You have to have the desire or will to live when you want to fight the disease. I have three small children. The kids started back right after school and once they started back it was back to business: drop off, pick up. They didn’t see me down too much, when they were away at school maybe I could sneak in a cry or two. Generally they didn’t see me sad or depressed or anything. I was doing everything. I didn’t slow down much. I had five songs before I had the surgery. I had the surgery December 17th and was back on the air Jan. 17th.

FC: How were you able to continue with your regular activities despite what you were going through?

DD: The Lord. You’ve got to. The prayers of the righteous. My name was everywhere. My in-laws went to the Wailing Wall; I was in Africa. I can’t think of all the places. The chemo makes you cloudy. Everybody is different. First I had the surgery then I had the chemo. I just finished it (chemo therapy) a little over a month ago. It’s amazing how your body comes back.

FC: You don’t even look like you have been through such a difficult thing.

DD: Praise to God, (It’s) because of the Lord, so I know that part of it is the testimony because you know whenever you go through something like that you try to figure out how you’re going to do it.

FC: Did you go through the “Why me?” phase?

DD: I was going through that last week. I was saying ‘why do I have to be scared for the rest of my life?’ But then I realized how I reacted. You often think about how you would react if you got some news like that, well I was surprised with myself on how probably well I handled it and I think probably as I am talking about it, by having as much of a regular routine as possible helped me because I’m a busy person, so I think that keeping the pace was important. I did good, I did good but the Lord kept me so, I was surprised how well I did myself. I didn’t freak out too much.

I had some days, of course I had some days. Overall I was pretty optimistic. I didn’t feel like I was going to die, never felt like that. I felt like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m getting ready to go through what?’ So it’s a journey. It’s not over that’s just the treatment part that’s done because there is still, obviously, I think more to the journey than just ‘this is the last day of treatment and your done.’ It’s not like that.

FC: What advice would you give to other women who are going through this or who just found out?

DD: God is good, God is good. I don’t know who could go through anything like this without your Higher Power, without your Allah, the Lord, your Buddha. You can’t go through anything like this without your Higher Power. Whoever it is you would need Allah, God, Jesus, Mary, and obviously we all know when we have conflicts or trials and crisis we turn in. I don’t want to be the one “Well only when it’s a crisis then I’m going to be obedient,” I just think it’s the whole walk, the same obedience and the discipline that you have all the time. Understanding that, and just that keeps your mind. There are some physical things that change that I’m just finding out like my reach span is very limited, tight and sore and you can’t reach and you’re still adjusting. Like when you are going through it, you have to make so many decisions, it’s just overwhelming.

FC: What were you doing when you found out, as far as plans? Were you recording another CD?

DD: On November 11th, which is also my daughter’s birthday, I got the call. And Nov. 19 we were going to Hawaii, my husband and I. (It was) something we had been planning. And when I went (to the doctor) when we started meeting with everybody, the surgeons, they (said) ‘go to Hawaii and have a good time and when you come back, we’ll have the surgery and deal with this.’ And I think that was the first (thought) “I’m going to live and be fine.” It wasn’t like “Could you tell your husband ‘Go bring your bags from home, we’re going straight to the surgery.’” It could have been like that.

FC: So it was important the way that the doctors broke the news to you.

DD: It was a very comprehensive program, very calm. She (the doctor) said ‘You’re gonna live.’ When she said that said ‘Ok, That’s what I want to hear.’ I think she did a great job, which means clean margins (the surgery), they didn’t have to go back in, that was a blessing. I see the Lord from the very beginning. From shaving under my arms, it wasn’t on my breast. It was under my arm, the lymph node. It was like a little pebble and I said, ‘what is this?’ It was right around my birthday and I was going for an annual anyway, I went to see (my doctor) he didn’t really feel anything but ‘I’ll give you an order’ and sure enough.

FC: Would you say the healing began once you got to Hawaii?

DD: Before the surgery my husband and I went to Hawaii. I say that’s really when my healing started. When I got there it was time. I ate wonderfully. The foods were fresh, the fruits were fresh, I would go out at night and let the tides suck out the cancer. Got my mind together, came back and got the surgery. I didn’t really have to take too many meds. Someone told me to ‘Let the Lord heal me up,’ instead of chemo and surgery. I believe in holistic medicine, but when you start dealing with cancer, God gave him the resources. I personally recommend a Western approach to cancer. You can’t skip it (chemotherapy).

FC: What advice would you give to women in general that have not had to deal with this and preventive measures?

DD: Early detection is the key. There are so many organizations that can help and offer free screenings, buy your mom a mammogram, but early detection is the key.

FC: Thank you.

DD: You’re welcome. God bless.

The post Surviving Breast Cancer with the Help of God appeared first on Final Call News.

A Deadly Mix, Especially for Black Males

Millions of people play the lottery. They walk into a grocery store, buy a ticket and wait for someone to announce the winning numbers. Millions of people also smoke–one in five American adults to be exact.

They walk into a grocery store and buy a pack of cigarettes. But with the cigarettes, there are no winning numbers. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), these are the “losing” numbers:

– 1 in 2 lifetime smokers will die from their habit.

– Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing an estimated 438,000 deaths–or about 1 out of every 5 deaths–each year.

– Smoking reduces life expectancy by 14 years.

– Men who smoke are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

– African-American men are more likely to die (93.1 out of 100,000 men each year) from lung cancer than any other racial and ethnic group.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. With all the cessation resources available and the smoke-free laws in place across the country, there has never been a better time to quit smoking and enjoy the many health benefits.

People who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke. Quitting also substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder, and cervical cancers.

It also reduces your risk of various cardiovascular diseases–including a heart attack–and lung diseases like emphysema.

Here are some things you can do to get started:

Visit www.Cancer.gov/Tobacco –You can read the popular NCI fact sheet, Why Quit and How to Get Help. You can learn more about how to do everyday things–handle stress, drive a car, drink or eat–without a cigarette in hand or about the strategies that really work.

The information you’ll find on this site will help you make an informed decision about the best smoking cessation strategy for you.

Call NCI’s Smoking Quit-line (1-877-44U-QUIT)—Smoking cessation counselors are available to answer smoking-related questions in English or Spanish, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. Call toll free in the United States, 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848). This call is confidential and free.

Visit www.SmokeFree.gov. There you’ll find an online guide you can use for the first smoke-free days and the first year. You can talk to a counselor who can help, by phone or instant message, and order evidence-based print materials that have helped other smokers quit.

And you can search for clinical trials across the country that may be testing smoking cessation programs.

Tobacco use is the single largest cause of preventable death in the United States, but knowledge about the health consequences of tobacco is not evenly distributed.

This November, visit www.cancer.gov or call 1-800-4CANCER to learn about the dangers of smoking and how to quit. Learn the facts and change your odds for life.

The National Cancer Institute is the nation’s leading federal agency for cancer research. For more information about cancer research and resources, visit www.cancer.gov or call toll-free 1-800-4CANCER.

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LOS ANGELES – Black leaders in California called on the tobacco industry to stop targeting their community with the promotion of menthol cigarettes and deceptive advertising. Menthol cigarettes are not more toxic than regular cigarettes, but the minty flavor and cooling sensation makes them more enticing and easier to smoke, paving the road to nicotine addiction. Seventy percent of Black smokers prefer to smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 30 percent of White smokers.

“We’re here today to say enough is enough,” said Sharon Eubanks, the former government prosecutor who led the landmark 2005 lawsuit against tobacco companies. “The tobacco industry has been targeting the African American community for decades with deceptive ads and pushing menthol cigarettes that have an anesthetic quality. These cigarettes are harder to quit and make it easier for youth to take up smoking.”

Convening in Leimert Park, a historic gathering place for Los Angeles’ Black community, tobacco control activists showcased a selection of historical ads created by the tobacco industry to entice Blacks to smoke and highlighted data about disastrous health effects attributable to tobacco use.

Leading the effort were Ms. Eubanks as well as Rev. Anthony Evans, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Black Church Initiative.

The call to stop the tobacco industry’s targeting of Black Americans comes at a time when Congress is considering legislation to give the FDA authority to regulate cigarettes. This legislation would prohibit tobacco companies from adding flavorings like cherry and peach to cigarettes, but contains a specific exemption for menthol.

“The U.S. Congress wants to ban adding candy and fruit flavors to cigarettes because it makes them more attractive to kids,” said Ms. Eubanks. “It is unacceptable that menthol is not included.”

According to the most recent California Tobacco Survey in 2005, Blacks in California have the highest overall smoking rate of any other group at 19.3 percent, compared to that of the general population at 13.9 percent. Black men and women both smoke at higher rates than other groups at 21.3 percent and 17.4 percent respectively, yet they attempt to quit more often and successfully quit at lower rates than any other group.

Advertising and promotion of tobacco products is prevalent in Black communities in California, advocates complained. Throughout the years, Blacks have been exposed to hundreds of tobacco ads, most of which are for menthol cigarettes, they said. Historically, the tobacco industry places proportionately more menthol cigarette ads in Black-oriented magazines than general population magazines, they charged.

“Smoking is not glamorous or sexy as these ads, so prevalent in our community, make it appear,” said Rev. Evans. “It’s lethal. And this targeting by the tobacco industry must stop.”

Tobacco use is the key contributor in the three major causes of death among Black Americans: heart disease, cancer and stroke. Lung cancer rates are especially high, with Black men 24 percent more likely than White men to have the disease.

Tobacco control activists and community members were in town to attend a Sept. 26 tobacco control conference, “A Community Under Siege: The State of Black California and Tobacco Use.” Participants at the all-day conference, sponsored by the California Department of Public Health, discussed and developed recommendations to deal with the immense toll tobacco use is having on California’s Black population.

Related links:

Researchers: Menthol used to attract young smokers (FCN, 07-30-2008)

Tobacco will kill 650 million smokers worldwide (FCN, 07-03-2008)

Anti-Tobacco campaigns escalating in the Black community (FCN, 04-16-2007)

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (FinalCall.com) – People who shed weight and want to keep it off might benefit from monthly personal contact interventions, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.

Results of the study are also being simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In a test of three ways that might help people maintain weight loss, those who received monthly personal counseling were best at keeping off unwanted pounds. Overall, 42 percent of the study members maintained at least a 9-pound weight loss for 30 months.

“We know how to help people lose weight in a healthy way, but we know very little about how to help them to keep the weight off,” said Laura P. Svetkey, M.D., lead author of the study and professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. “This study is the longest and largest to test strategies for long-term weight loss maintenance, and it suggests that long-term weight control is an achievable goal.

“The United States is in the midst of an obesity epidemic, one that portends serious future health consequences. Overweight and obesity are the leading cause of high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol, which are leading causes of cardiovascular disease, which is, in turn, the leading cause of death in this country,” Dr. Svetkey said. “So if we really want to get to the root causes of these disorders, we need to address the obesity epidemic.”

Despite the importance of obesity control, few studies have tested strategies to maintain weight loss over long periods, according to the American Heart Association.

Dr. Svetkey and her colleagues enrolled 1,685 participants in the two-phase Weight Loss Maintenance trial, which was conducted at four clinical centers in the United States.

Phase I consisted of 20 weekly group sessions of 18-25 participants held over six months, during which trained counselors emphasized three key elements to weight loss–consuming fewer calories, increasing moderate physical activity, and eating a healthy diet. Researchers recommended DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grain and high fiber foods, that uses low-fat and fat-free dairy products and is low in total and saturated fat and sodium.

DASH lowers blood pressure and cholesterol even without weight loss, the association said.

Counselors helped participants use tools like self-monitoring and goal-setting, and helped them remember why they wanted to lose weight in the first place. The group sessions also provided study members with social support from other participants.

At the end of Phase I, 61 percent of the participants in the trial were eligible for Phase II, which lasted for 30 months, because they had lost at least nine pounds and as much as 66 pounds.

Thirty-eight percent of people in Phase II were Black and 37 percent were male. “This is important because men are often underrepresented in weight loss studies, and obesity disproportionately affects African Americans,” Dr. Svetkey said.

According to the American Heart Association, researchers randomly assigned the volunteers to one of three groups:

Personal contact (PC)–Participants talked with an interventionist (monthly, nine times by telephone and three times face-to-face each year) who provided personal counseling and encouragement.

Interactive technology (IT)–Study members had access to an interactive website on which they could record and track their exercise and calorie intake; set goals and monitor their progress toward them; and communicate with others in the IT group.

Self-directed (SD)–Participants were urged to maintain their weight loss and then sent off without further intervention.

Results from the trial after 30 months included:

Overall, 71 percent weighed less than when they began Phase I. The difference in the percentage of each group that weighed less was statistically significant PC group (77 percent); IT group (69 percent) and SD group (67 percent).

Thirty-seven percent of enrollees weighed at least 5 percent below their beginning weight. Again, the PC participants (42 percent) significantly outperformed those in the SD (34 percent) and IT (29 percent) groups.

Even a small weight loss can have potential health benefits, she noted.

“Each pound of weight loss can lower blood pressure by as much as a millimeter of mercury, and the more weight you lose, the bigger the blood pressure effect,” Dr. Svetkey said. “Each pound of weight loss is estimated to lower the risk of developing diabetes by 8 percent, which is quite impressive.

“Clearly more research is needed to refine these maintenance interventions to make them more effective, but this study is an important step in the right direction.”

The study was conducted at four clinical sites: Duke, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Johns Hopkins University and the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health (CHR) Research, which also served as the coordinating center.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health funded the study.

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Just over a year ago, a 12-year-old boy, Deamonte Driver, went to a hospital in Maryland’s Prince George’s County and was diagnosed with a tooth abscess and sinusitis. He was given antibiotics and sent home.

A few weeks later, his mother, Alyce Driver, was burying her son. She couldn’t afford the $80 to have Deamonte’s tooth extracted, and bacteria from the infected tooth migrated to his brain and killed him.

Deamonte Driver became another victim of the health disparities that grip this nation. All across the country, Black men, women and children suffer and die prematurely because people of color are in far poorer health than Whites, and are more likely not to have health insurance. Blacks suffer disproportionately from diseases ranging from heart disease, to diabetes and certain cancers. And the infant mortality rate for Black babies is higher than any other demographic in American society.

Belatedly, experts have come to realize there is no single reason for health disparities–there are many. Blacks are in poor health because of their total environment. Clearly, the combinations of social and economic conditions under which people of color live are the determinants that ultimately impact our health. These conditions include income level, social status, social supports, political environment, education, employment, ecological environment, and culture–just to name a few.

Moreover, these factors exacerbate health disparities in the most vulnerable populations, including the poor in urban and rural areas, immigrants, adults and juveniles re-entering life after prison, and the homeless.

Data paints a bleak picture of Blacks at risk from the moment their lives begin in the mother’s womb. Health disparities are devastating urban and rural communities alike, burdening our families and friends. To be sure, racism and discrimination play a role in the health crisis that Blacks face. The Institute of Medicine issued a report entitled “Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare” documenting that minorities receive a lower quality of healthcare even when insurance status and incomes are considered. Researchers found that stereotyping, biases, and uncertainty on the part of healthcare providers all contributed to the unequal treatment.

Consider these statistics:

– The infant mortality rate for Blacks is 13.5 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.7 for Whites.

– Age-adjusted death rates for cancer is 25.4 percent higher for Blacks than Whites.

– 3.2 million Blacks, or 13.3 percent over the age of 20, have diabetes and Blacks are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as Whites.

– Blacks are more likely to die of heart disease than any other racial or ethnic group.

– Black men have the highest death rate of any racial or ethnic group.

Unfortunately, the millions spent examining health disparities have yielded few results. Only recently have researchers begun to understand that to improve the health of Blacks, their total environment must be considered, and acted upon.

On April 9, the Community Voices Initiative at the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine will host leaders in civil rights and health disparities to discuss the relationship between poor health and inequities in society. The First Annual “Freedom’s Voice Conference” at Morehouse School of Medicine hopes to plot a new direction in the fight against health disparities.

Participants from the nation’s leading think tanks, universities, government and health industry will participate in the panel discussions, as well as present case studies and interactive presentations. Sessions will include: Underserved Populations: The Social Determinants of Health; Incarceration and Reentry: Addressing the Health of Those Returning Home; Innovators: Mayors Speak Out about Reentry; Legislative and Legal Strategies to Address the Collateral Impacts of Incarceration and Reentry; and The Role of News Media in the Health Disparities Dialogue.

Further, after hosting a panel discussion to hear the voices of the victims of health disparities, there will be a session on the crucial next steps. Participants will begin to craft components for an action plan and implement the ideas that will ultimately benefit our communities.

“Until the social determinants of health are identified and addressed, Black men, women and children will continue suffering needlessly. This conference is a crucial step towards saving lives,” said Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell, associate director of development at the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine and director of Community Voices, a non-profit working to improve health services and health-care access.

For more information, call 404-752-8649.

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  Saviours’ Day 2008 Coverage 

(FinalCall.com) – In the midst of the confusion about what’s healthy and what is not, people came to the one place where they can get the truth, a Nation of Islam health workshop. The “Healthy Lifestyles” workshop standing room only crowd listened attentively as the expert panel disseminated crucial information to the audience participants about their health and how to improve it.

Dr. Ridgley, the coordinator over Muhammad’s Farms gave a startling account of how much the food we buy has been genetically altered. He urged audience members to return to “How to Eat to Live” and grow their own food as much as possible. He said the only way we can be absolutely sure of “organic” food is to grow it ourselves.

The importance of having a trusted family physician and annual check-ups were emphasized by Dr. Stacy Muhammad, a family practitioner from Houston, Texas. She said the number one killer of those forty and older is heart disease. The top three cancers are lung, breast and prostate.

“Sometimes the first signs of disease show up in the mouth,” stated dentist, Dr. Brett Muhammad. “We need to take care of our teeth.” Dr. Brett talked about the need to get rid of fluoride because of its poisonous effect on the body and that it is better to use baking soda to clean your teeth. He said that when we are sick, odors come from our body and a white tongue is a sign of a sick body.

Brother Kevin Muhammad, an avid researcher and technical writer, explained how we have adopted the fattening diet that was given to farm animals. He said, “Sweet Potatoes were used to fatten up pigs and grits were used for chickens:. How to Eat to Live “is the diet of God.” He also mentioned how vaccinations have been linked to cancer.

Sister Audrey Muhammad, a certified aerobics instructor and fitness trainer, got the participants on their feet for a stretch and encouraged them to “make their word bond” by sticking to an exercise program and “eat to live.” “Eating to live eliminates the need for a diet,” she said. “Diets, you eventually go off, but eating to live is everyday.”

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Chicago Teens Line Up for HIV Tests, Learn About Taking Responsibility for their Health

CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) – In early January, the non-profit Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization, Inc. (MAGIC) and the National Teen Test Day Foundation made history as they launched the first-ever teen test day–an effort to improve health awareness, data collection and services for teenagers.

Nearly 2,000 people participated in “National Teen Test Day” at Trinity United Church of God in Christ, where hundreds of teens received free, confidential tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases as well as screenings for hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, and stroke. Teens were tested for Body Mass Index, and spinal assessments, and donated blood as medical professionals Counselors also shared information about health maintenance.

Fifteen-year-old Dashaunicka Holmes wanted the free hip hop concert tickets given to teens who came out to get tested, so she didn’t mind doing something she had never done before, she took an HIV test. Dabbing a cotton swab in her mouth for a saliva sample, Dashaunicka handed the sample to a nurse waiting to record her contact information. She was among more than 500 teens who took a test to find out their HIV status.

Health professionals said teens often feel they are invincible and never will get HIV or other diseases. That’s why National Teen Test Day Foundation co-founders Carlos Meyers and Vanessa Muhammad wanted to put on a youth-led health wellness fair.

Chloe Rose Jackson felt confident. After all, the 15-year-old said, she wasn’t even sexually active. Sheldon Smith, 19, who donated blood and was tested for HIV, gets screened for the virus every six months, far more frequently than his peers. “When you’re 19, who is thinking about going to the doctor every six months?” Sheldon said.

The event evolved out of surveys of teens about topics they found most important. The topics became themes for the MAGIC Teen Talk Chicago cable television. But organizers felt the responses about HIV deserved more than just a TV discussion. They hope Teen Test Day will become nationally recognized.

“We started looking for an agency that had teen-specific stuff, but nobody had it. Everything done for teens was done as an adult presentation. We believe that when you have teens presenting information to other teens, they’re more likely to listen,” Mr. Meyers said.

“The youth really took possession of the idea of a teen test day and pulled it all together. They also participated in the outreach to the agencies and developed the program for the day,” said Vanessa Muhammad, editorial supervisor for The Final Call newspaper.

“When have you ever seen 500 people, not to mention 500 teenagers, get tested for HIV in one day? It was amazing,” she said.

Beate Lindberg came from Sweden just to cover the events. “I would love for Teen Test Day to come to Sweden and show the kids there that it’s ok to get tested and know your status,” she said. She plans to do a radio report and present an exhibition about Teen Test Day in Stockholm.

The day included a press conference, testing, a skit, proclamations from Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago and Gov. Rod Blagajevich of Illinois, a stunning VIP reception and evening hip hop concert. Joanne Glenn, founder of Comprehensive Quality Care Inc., Foundation provided a team of nurses to perform the HIV test and Rosanne Weathersby, president of The Gift House, another agency performing HIV testing, was surprised to have run out of the test. “The biggest problem in the Black community is still the stigma of the disease. Events like this will go a long way to erase that stigma. I hope this is not a one-time event,” she said.

The evening before National Teen Test Day, organizers held a five hour live radio-takeover at 90.5 FM RadioArte station targeting Latino youth. Rappers Crucial Conflict and Tha Pope encouraged teens to remove the stigma of getting tested for HIV. Teens came to the radio station to be tested and to meet the artists. The artists also performed during the evening concert with Dude N Nem, Shorty K, Red Storm and Malik Yusef.

“When it comes to many diseases and health issues, teens are often overlooked. Today our teens have stepped up to be counted,” said MAGIC Executive Director Bryan Echols.

“We are fighting for the spirit of our youth and we have to wage the war in that way. I love what MAGIC does because they don’t just talk at teens, they give them their own voice and become a safety net for them,” said Dr. Carol Adams, head of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The event included free breakfast catered by Perfect Peace Café, free lunch and give-a ways, andPOWER 92 FM live radio broadcasting at both events.

“This is a critically important problem because almost 70 percent of the STDs among teenagers in Chicago are among African American children. We have an epidemic,” warned Dr. Terry Mason, commissioner ofChicago Dept. of Public Health.

Illinois Director of Public Health Dr. Damon Arnold read a proclamation on behalf of Gov. Blagojevich. He implored parents to “talk truthfully” to their children. “Make sure they know that in every sexual encounter there’s a possibility that you can die. When you decide to have unprotected sex, you are putting a loaded gun to your head,” he said.

For more information on MAGIC, visit www.magicchicago.org, or www.teentestday.com or contact Vanessa Muhammad at (773) 447-0976 or Carlos Meyers at (312) 799-0398.

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