If My Son Were Alive, What Would I Tell Him About Health?

If my son was still alive, I would teach him about health because health education is just as important as general education.

• If my son was alive, I would tell him:
   

• Not to smoke because smoking is a major cause of death in African American men.
   

• Not to use drugs or drink too much alcohol.
   

• Maintain good weight and stay away from too much fast food.

• Practice safe sex.
   

• Keep in good physical shape because it protects you as you grow older.
   

• There is more to life than working. Helping people is a worthwhile endeavor.
   

• Put God first in his Life, love your family, and cherish your friends.

If my son was alive today, I would tell him all of these things, then I would try and show him.

If You are a Black Male Living in South Carolina, Beware!

By now you should be aware that our wonderful State is at the bottom when it comes to longevity of life; South Carolina ranks 47th when compared to other states. As a Black male I am concerned that the data suggests that Black males who live in urban South Carolina are just as prone to an early death as men who live in Angola, Mexico, Nigeria and other parts of the developed world. This new research clearly shows that where you live affects whether you die early, as does race and economics. The lack of health insurance only accounts for a small portion of the poor outcome seen. You might be surprised to know that Asian American women who live in New Jersey reach an average age of 91 as opposed to American Indian men who live in South Dakota and die around age 58. Compared to the longest living women, black males who live in inner cities die 21 years earlier. A 15 years old black male is 3.8 times as likely to die before age 60 as an Asian American. And if you think that rich white folk live the longest, then think again because the data says no. The cause of all of this bad news is very straightforward and not surprising. Too much alcohol, too much tobacco use, uncontrolled blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, obesity and inactivity are the culprits. HIV/AIDS and violence are not a real factor according to the report. The report suggests that creating an environment to assist in a healthy lifestyle is very important to affect change. Maybe it is time to take that walk across the Ravenel Bridge.