When people say that obesity is an epidemic in the United States, they may evince of a misunderstanding of the meaning of the word epidemic, but the sentiment is perfectly valid. For many years obesity has been spreading in our country; and it is a sickness, one that is killing us.
Although obesity is color-blind and can be found in all sectors of American society, certain subcultures have been particularly affected. The American-American culture is one of those, and part of the problem is “soul food.”
It’s a delicate matter to suggest that perhaps long-held and cherished cultural traditions are best altered or even abandoned. But our feelings on a subject don’t affect its nutritional truths. And the truth is, soul food—e.g., hamhocks, hushpuppies, fried chicken—is typically heavy on fat, sugar, and sodium, and is generally believed to be a major contributor to the high incidence of obesity and diabetes among African-Americans.
That’s why the Office of 9th District Councilmember Steven Neal is co-sponsoring a Saturday-night screening of Soul Food Junkies, a documentary that explores the history of soul food, as well as the alimentary lessons that should be learned from that history.
“I think the residents of North Long Beach can relate to the message in Soul Food Junkies,” says Neal. “Oftentimes we forget the negative effect that food has on our bodies—no matter how good it tastes. And I think this film demonstrates that, particularly [concerning] my culture, the African-American culture. This is [a problem] we’re quite familiar with—and quite damaged for it.”
The screening is co-sponsored by the Coalition for a Healthy North Long Beach, which has been drawing upon a $1 million HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) Zone grant from Kaiser-Permanente to provide North Long Beachers with improved access to salubrious options, such as debuting a Greener Good Certified Farmers Market in the 9th District last July.
Neal says one of the roles of government is to provide people—all people—with the knowledge and power to make healthy choices. One speaker in the film uses the starkest of terms to express the cost of our not doing so: “If you want to wipe out an entire generation of people, when you want to engage in a kind of 21st-century genocide, all you have to do is continue to do what we’re doing, which is to deprive people of access to healthy food.”
“We’ve got to do a better job providing nutritio[us alternatives], particularly to our youth,” Neal says. “We definitely have an obesity challenge in this country; and health challenges create all kinds of other issues in our society in general. I hope people will come [to the screening] Saturday so we can learn how to identify unhealthy foods and choose healthier options for ourselves and for our families.”
Soul Food Junkies screens Saturday, January 19, at Houghton Park Community Center (6301 Myrtle Ave., LB 90805). A light reception begins at 5:30PM and the film begins at 6PM. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can RSVP at 562.570.6137 or [email protected].