State of African-American health & fitness: A Quiz

AS THE nation celebrates Black History Month, I was wondering how the overall health and fitness of African-Americans has improved in our brave new post-racial society.

Has having a black man in the White House trickled down and improved economics, fitness and health for the 44.5 million African-Americans?

Think you know the answer to these questions? Then challenge yourself with my African-American health and fitness quiz. (Answers below.)

Let me know how you do.

1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-American life expectancy is _____ than whites:

a) 1 year less b) 2 years less c) 4 years less d) 8 years less

2. The single-most significant thing affecting African-American childhood obesity is:

a) Too much television viewing b) Too little exercise c) Too much overeating d) Too little sleep

3. What three practical steps may reduce children's risk of obesity by 40 percent?

a) Not having an obese mother, eating portion control meals, having daily play and exercise times.

b) Not eating fast food, watching two hours of TV daily, exercising every day.

c) Eating family dinner at home six to seven days a week, getting 10.5 hours of sleep at night, limiting screen time to no more than two hours a day.

d) Limiting screen time to two hours a day, getting 8 hours of sleep, eating out once a week.

4. Many African-American babies do not make it to their first birthday. According to the CDC studies from 2005, the infant mortality rate for African-American mothers with more than 13 years of education was almost _____ that of non-Hispanic white mothers:

a) 2 times b) 3 times c) 4 times d) 5 times

5. According to the CDC, ____ of African-American women are overweight:

a) 25% b) 66% c) 75% d) 80.3%

6. Currently, 7.8 percent of the general population has diabetes. What percentage of African-Americans 20 and older have diabetes?

a) 14.7%, or 3.7 million b) 25%, or 12 million c) 10.5%, or 2.2 million d) 50%, or 22 million

7. Which community-based nonprofit organizations have taken bold steps to increase African-American women's fitness?

a) Black Girls Rock!

b) Black Girls Run!

c) Black Women Workout

d) Black Women's Health Project

8. Many African-Americans have been bitten by the fitness bug and are included in the 50.2 million Americans who have gym memberships. What percentage of gym memberships go unused annually?

a) 25% b) 50% c) 66% d) 75%

9. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, African-Americans are ____ more likely to die from all types of cancer than whites:

a) 10% b) 25% c) 33% d) 45%

10. Too much abdominal fat is likely to increase your risk for which of the following diseases?

a) diabetes b) cancer c) heart attack d) all of the above

11. A large waist circumference for men is ______ and for women is ______:

a) 40 inches, 34 b) 35, 30 c) 45, 40 d) 35, 25

12. Which of the following diseases disproportionately affects African-Americans?

a) heart disease b) diabetes c) stroke d) all of the above

Answers

1. C: 4 years less.

2. D: Too little sleep. According to researchers, children (0-21) need 10 hours of sleep. In the last 20 years, children have lost on average an hour of sleep.

3. C: According to Temple University's Robert Whitaker, a professor of pediatrics and public health at the Center for Obesity Research and Education, eating the evening meal at home six to seven days a week, 10.5 hours of sleep for children and limiting TV and video to no more than two hours daily reduces childhood obesity by 40 percent.

4. B.

5. D: 80.3 percent of black women are overweight or obese.

6. A: According to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 14.7 percent, or 3.7 million blacks, have diabetes.

7. B and C.

8. C: According to Bankrate, 66 percent of gym memberships go unused every year.

9. C: 33 percent.

10. D: Visceral fat around the abdominal area increases your risk for most preventable diseases.

11. A: 40 and 35. If you're a man and your waist is 40 or more inches you may be at increased risk for disease. If you're a woman and your waist is 35 or more inches you may be at increased risk for disease.

12. D: All of the above.