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What black Americans can learn from ‘American Idol’ star Mandisa, who died of obesity

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Mandisa American Idol death, what happened to Mandisa American Idol?, Mandisa American Idol obesity, Obesity Black americans, Black people obesity theGrio.com

In April, Grammy Award-winning singer and former “American Idol” contestant Mandisa was found dead in her home by friends. The star’s death was deemed “natural” within the autopsy report of the star, who was just 47 years old, which also found that it was the result of “class III obesity-related complications.”

What is class III obesity?

Scientifically, obesity is decided by an individual’s body mass index (BMI), which measures the quantity of fat stored within the body based on the ratio of an individual’s height and weight. According to National Institute of HealthClass III obesity, previously referred to as morbid obesity, refers to a BMI of 40 or more. Although BMI analyzes usually are not at all times accurate for some patients (e.g. children), doctors use other tests to find out whether an individual is severely obese. Other criteria for a Class III diagnosis include a weight greater than optimal for an individual’s sex and height by 100 kilos and/or a BMI of 35 or greater and obesity-related health problems comparable to diabetes and hypertension.

Like the NIH, Dr. Nisha Parikh, associate director of women’s heart health at Northwell, explained how the condition can significantly increase an individual’s risk of chronic disease and reduce overall health and quality of life.

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Why it’s greater than just “weight loss”

Throughout her profession, Mandisa has been very honest about her weight reduction journey, often pouring her feelings about it into her music while celebrating and reflecting on the ups and downs of his journey.

“In addition to healthy eating and exercise, mental and emotional health are important,” Mandisa said Esencja Magazine in 2020 after losing 80 kilos. “I am a food addict and, like an alcoholic, I tend to hide my problems in something else. So even if I lost weight years ago, which I did, it would always come back until I learned to deal with my problems… I feel like I’ve gained and lost so much that I can’t afford to go back to that life.”

As Mandisa noted, obesity and weight can impact not only physical health, but additionally mental health. In fact, American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes obesity as a disease consisting of genetic, metabolic and behavioral symptoms that require mental help.

What can Black people learn from Mandisa’s obesity-related death?

It isn’t any secret that, normally, Black people within the United States are more at risk of a number of health problems. Whether it is the result of genealogy, lack of access to health care, or discriminatory health care practices, Black communities are at greater risk of diseases comparable to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, maternal mortality and more .

Unfortunately, provided that over 108 million American adults are currently obese, 49.9% non-Hispanic black men fall into the category. Similarly, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health found that black women have the very best rates of obesity or chubby in comparison with other groups within the United States, with 4 in 5 black women considered chubby or obese.

Living in obese society where Black Americans’ obesity problems are compounded by systemic struggles, it will be important for those with access to medical care to seek the advice of their doctors for support.

“First of all, consult your doctor. Our research has shown that women in particular are less likely to go to the doctor when we are overweight, and certainly even obese,” Parikh emphasized, explaining why women often think they need to lose weight before going to the doctor. “I would advise women to just stop thinking like that because as doctors, we want to see you right away.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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What now after the controversial and emotional elections? ‘Joy Lady’ Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts speaks out

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If you are struggling emotionally and do not know where to search for hope and joy following the 2024 US presidential election results, you are not alone.

Apart from about half the country, even the self-proclaimed “Lady of Joy” Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts goes through difficult times after the elections.

The thought leader, author and storyteller explained that in the first few days after the election, she didn’t know the best way to lead others to joy, “in a way that did not seem to be I used to be diminishing their rightful rage; the legitimate grief and sadness that folks feel.”

She continued, “And that is why I struggle a bit bit, since it’s like I’m Lady Joy, right? So it’s as much as me to bring joy and I’m trying to search out it for myself. I’m attempting to do the work I’ve been doing for the previous couple of years, locate the joy in my body, to be clear about my next move.

While it might be hard to wrap your head around joy right now, Lewis-Giggetts, writer of “Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Reconstruction” and its recent sequel, “Black Joy Guide: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Pleasure”, believes that joy is precisely what people scuffling with difficulties need right now.

“I will say that even in the midst of my struggles, I still believe that joy and reclaiming joy, accessing joy, is a huge factor in how we move forward,” she said.

Lewis-Giggetts said that ultimately, joy can grow to be our best asset. But you have got to make the time and effort to search out the joy, to “own” it.

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“Yes, joy now becomes a tool of resistance; but also a tool for healing,” she said, adding: “In particular, we can now wield our joy, our humanity, we can wield our…all the ways that we enter the world, we can wield it in a way that denies what that person (and) these entities are trying to do.”

But she added: “We can’t rule what we don’t have access to. We cannot rule what we are not willing to appease and conquer.”

Calming down and gaining joy can appear like various things to many various people. For Lewis-Giggetts, searching for laughter – in her case, Netflix stand-up specials, gardening, and walking – are a few of the ways she finds joy.

HEARTConversation” the podcast host said that finding joy can be relatively simple. It doesn’t have to be reserved for big things like vacations, milestones, and important moments. It could be meditation, journaling, or even gathering people and being around those you love. It could even be as seemingly minimal as putting on Beyoncé’s “Cozy” during a moment of author’s block and dancing to it, she said.

“I think the next thing we need to do is give people enough peace to access all the parts – the ways, the sadness and the joy that live simultaneously in our bodies,” Lewis-Giggetts said. “So that we can get the message about the next step; what will be the next move.”

For those that rightly ask, “What now?” or what the next move will probably be, she admitted. “I do not know what the next move will probably be. I wish we had… How will we organize ourselves? What are we doing? Will we just leave here with ‘Blaxit’ or will we stay and fight?”

Lewis-Giggetts clearly states that we must first respect the space we want to process. “What I know is that we won’t be as effective as we want to be, regardless of the response, if we don’t take steps here to redress the balance,” she said. “(To) regenerate, refresh and (and), you know, access joy.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade celebrate daughter Kaavia’s 6th birthday

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Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade’s daughter Kaavia, often called the “suspicious baby” online, is not any longer a baby. On November 7, Union and Wade celebrated their daughter’s sixth birthday. Posting a carousel of photos and videos, the parents wrote Kaavia a sweet birthday message Instagram.

“Miss Kaavia James Union Wade turns 6 today!” They wrote in a joint post. “You are a miracle who has blessed everyone with your kindness, compassion, elitist humor, intelligence and loving soul.”

“You are a gift to your family, blood and chosen ones, as well as to many people around the world,” they added. “We love you beyond measure and celebrate your adorable little self every day!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN KAAVIA!!!”

In 2018, the actress and NBA star welcomed Kaavia via surrogate, which Union said was a difficult decision. In his book “Got Something Stronger?” Union reflected on her fertility journey. After being diagnosed with adenomyosis – a disease affecting the uterine mucosa – and several miscarriages, the star recalls how her doctor really helpful surrogacy, which she admits she was not ready for.

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“I wasn’t ready for this. I desired to experience being pregnant. Watching my body expand and change to accommodate this miracle inside me. I also desired to experience being pregnant in a public place,” she said in a reflective essay published in the magazine ” Time magazine.. “…Why did I need to risk it a lot for the prospect (to have a baby)? If there was one other method to have a baby and be healthy, why was it so hard for me to simply accept it?

Despite fertility issues, Union, now 52, ​​says she doesn’t regret becoming a mother at 46.

“I became a mother at the right time because I was healed,” she shared earlier Instagram. “And I committed to healing forever, so I didn’t pass on all this generational trauma to Kaav… if I had been a day younger, or even certainly 10, 15, 20 years earlier, I would have passed on too much traumatic stuff to my child.”

Kaavia is the youngest member of Union and Wade’s blended family. The couple can be parents to Wade’s son Zaire and daughter Zaya, whom he shares along with his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, and son Xavier, whom he shares with Aja Metoyer. Wade can be the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris.

As a toddler, Kaavia’s personality shone through in her parents’ social media posts, which captured their daughter’s hilariously serious faces. From her signature side eye to her lovely smile, Kaavia quickly became known on social media as Union’s beloved “suspicious baby.”

“I love that there’s a Shady Baby, and a Shady Baby is just someone who won’t dance for you when you say now. She already has her own opinion at the age of four and a half months,” said the actress People Magazine in 2019. “I hope he keeps the same energy, that when he feels like smiling, he smiles, and when he doesn’t, he doesn’t (smile). You either catch the mood or you don’t, but she will stay true to herself.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Halle Bailey’s reaction to seeing her son on Kai Cenat’s livestream sparks a discussion about putting children online

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Halle Bailey doesn’t like the thought of ​​her son, Halo, being exposed to tens of millions of individuals. Last night, the “Little Mermaid” star sparked debate when she took to Twitter to express her disapproval of her ex-boyfriend and child’s father: DDG, bring their 9-month-old son to social media star Kai Cenat’s non-stop livestream on Twitch.

“Just so you know, I’m out of town and I refuse to allow my child to be streamed tonight,” Bailey wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “I was not told or notified and I am very sad that I am having a baby in front of millions of people. I am his mother and guardian and I am sorry that I was not notified, especially when I am out of town.”

While most individuals can understand a mother wanting to protect her child, many social media users were confused by the star’s outrage as she previously posted her son’s face on her social media platforms. After hiding her pregnancy from the world amid speculation, Bailey and her ex, who can be a rapper and content creator, gave their tens of millions of followers glimpses of their lives as parents.

“Halle posts Halo on Snapchat all day every day, but it’s Twitch that (crosses) the line?” one user commented X.

However, many users understood Bailey’s concerns. Cenat is a popular streamer on Twitch who always breaks records for prime viewership and subscriber numbers on the platform. Moreover, the live streamer has already gone viral before dangerous staged stunts through the live broadcast, which several social media users noted as: concern for safety.

“Halle not wanting her child to participate in a livestream full of naive teenagers and young adults is completely understandable. (You) really hate women because the Halle Bailey hate train is crazy.” wrote one other user. “Not to mention the wild shit they do on the published. (L)literally constant acrobatics, shooting fireworks, swearing and loud music. I would not want my child to take part in such a live broadcast either.”

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After her initial tweet, Bailey further explained why she found the situation disrespectful.

“As a woman experiencing difficult labor, there are boundaries that I want to be respected. “No one knows what someone is going through until they break,” she added, before ultimately deleting her X and Instagram accounts.

This is not the primary time Bailey has opened up about her struggles with postpartum depression, or PPD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PPD is a mood disorder that affects one in eight moms after giving birth.

During the published, viewers speculated that DDG was reacting to Bailey’s comments rap freestylesaying, “I don’t care what I do; I can’t get canceled.” Since the backlash, Cenat has made no comments apart from to tell viewers that that is a difficulty for fogeys to cope with, and he “there is no information about this.”

Bailey and DDG announced their son’s arrival on Instagram in January 2024. In early October, the co-parents announced the tip of their two-year relationship.

“After much thought and honest conversations, Halle and I have decided that each of us will go our separate ways,” the rapper wrote on Instagram. according to People magazine. “The decision was not easy, but we believe it is the best path for both of us. I treasure the time we spent together and the love we shared. Despite changes in our relationships, our love for each other remains deep and true. We are still best friends and adore each other.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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