Improving Your Health:

Tips for African Americans

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services

 WIN Weight-control Information Network

Introduction

You don’t have to give up all of your favorite foods 

or start training for a big race to improve your 

health. Over time, small changes to your eating, 

drinking, and physical activity habits may help 

you control your weight, feel better, and improve 

your health. 

This fact sheet will give you ideas on how to 

make better food and beverage choices and add 

physical activity to your life. When you make these 

changes, you may also become a health champion 

to help your family, friends, and others in your 

community do the same. 

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

What is BMI?

The BMI is a tool that measures your weight in 

relation to your height. It can help you find out 

if your weight is in a healthy range (“normal 

weight”). Here are the main BMI cutoff values 

for adults:

 18.5 to 24.9: normal weight

 25 to 29.9: overweight

 30 or greater: obese

For a BMI chart, see the Weight-control 

Information Network (WIN) brochure Better 

Health and You, listed in the Resources section 

of this fact sheet. An online tool for measuring 

your BMI is also listed under Resources.

Am I overweight?

More than three in four African American adults 

are overweight or obese.

The body mass index (BMI) is the tool used most 

often to find a person’s weight status. (See the box 

at left.) This tool may help you find out if your 

weight could raise your chances of developing 

health problems described later in this fact sheet. 

Another way to find out if you carry too much 

weight is to measure your waist. You may be more 

likely to have weight-related health problems if 

your waist is above a certain size. For women, the 

size is above 35 inches. For men, the size is above 

40 inches. 

For more on how to measure your BMI and waist 

size, visit the Aim for a Healthy Weight website, 

listed in the Resources section. 

Could my weight lead to health problems?

Excess weight, especially around the waist, is linked 

to serious health problems. But not everyone who 

is overweight or obese has these problems. Excess 

weight may raise your chances of having these 

health problems:

■ certain cancers

■ heart disease and stroke

■ high blood pressure

■ kidney disease

■ type 2 diabetes

For more information, see the WIN fact sheet 

Do You Know Some of the Health Risks of Being 

Overweight? listed in the Resources section of this 

fact sheet.
 2 | Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans

Ask your doctor if you should be concerned 

about your weight. Your doctor may also do 

tests to see if you have high blood sugar or high 

cholesterol (a type of fat in your blood), and ask 

if you have a family history of certain diseases. 

Check out the “Questions to Ask Your Doctor” 

box below for ideas about how to start talking 

with your doctor about weight and health. 

You may lower your chances for health problems 

by losing weight. Losing 5 to 10 percent of your 

body weight may improve your health. If you 

weigh 200 pounds, that would mean losing 10 to 

20 pounds. 

Slow and steady weight loss of 1⁄2 to 2 pounds 

per week is the safest way to lose weight. To do 

so, you may need to take in 500 to 750 fewer 

calories per day. Cutting back on sugar-sweetened 

beverages like soda and sports drinks is a great 

way to reduce calories and improve your health.

Where do I start?

It can be hard to control your weight when you 

are not sure what to eat and drink, do not know 

the best ways to be physically active, or have 

limited time and money.

Start by talking to your doctor about ways to 

improve your eating, drinking, and physical 

activity habits. Consuming healthier foods and 

beverages and getting regular physical activity 

may help you reach and stay at a healthy weight. 

And write down your own questions before 

your visit so you are prepared. Refer to the box 

“Questions to Ask Your Doctor” for examples of 

questions to ask.

How can I consume healthier foods and 

beverages?

Practice making good food and beverage choices.

Good food and beverage choices give your body 

the fuel it needs, help you stay full longer, and 

improve your health.

The federal dietary guidelines advise adults to 

consume these foods and beverages:

■ fruits and vegetables 

■ seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, beans, 

and unsalted nuts and seeds

■ fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, 

including fortified soy beverages 

■ whole grains like oatmeal, whole-wheat 

bread, and brown rice

Think of ways that you can add healthy foods 

and beverages to your life. 

Try these ideas:

■ Cover half of your plate with fruits and 

veggies and choose high-fiber foods like 

beans and whole-grain breads and cereals. 

Fruits and veggies may be fresh, canned in 

100 percent fruit juice, frozen, or dried, and 

may be whole, cut up, or pureed. Look for 

low- or no-salt options when buying canned 

or frozen veggies.

■ Choose a healthy option like salad topped 

with grilled chicken (not fried) or ask for a 

side of steamed veggies instead of fries when 

you eat away from home. 

■ Choose water, fat-free milk, or sugar-free 

coffee or tea rather than sugary beverages. 

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

 What is a healthy weight for me? 

 What foods and beverages should I 

consume to improve my health?

 What kinds of physical activity may help 

me improve my health? How often and for 

how long should I do these activities? 

TOOLS YOU CAN USE
Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans | 3

Write down your ideas for changes you could 

make to eat and drink healthier and a date when 

you will start. At first, make one change. Once 

you have made one change, you can add another. 

Goal:

 

Start Date:

Goal:

 

Start Date:

Goal:

 

Start Date:

Commit to eating and drinking fewer foods, 

beverages, and snacks that have solid fats 

and/or added sugars.

Many foods and beverages have empty calories 

(calories from solid fats and/or added sugars). 

Calories from solid fats and added sugars are often 

called empty calories because they have few or no 

nutrients. 

■ Solid fats (or saturated fats) are fats that 

are solid at room temperature, like butter 

and shortening. Some solid fats are found 

naturally in foods. They can also be added to 

foods like potato chips by food companies.

■ Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are 

added when foods or beverages like soda are 

made. 

Solid fats and added sugars can add a lot of calories

to what you eat and drink. See the box on the 

next page “Choose foods and beverages with few 

or no empty calories” for examples of foods and 

beverages with and without empty calories. 

A small amount of empty calories is okay, but 

most people get too many. You can limit empty 

calories by consuming foods and beverages with 

empty calories less often or by decreasing the 

amount you eat or drink.

Try these ideas to reduce or cut empty calories:

■ Replace snacks like chips and sweets with 

fat-free yogurt or baby carrots. And buy lowfat and sugar-free versions of your favorite 

snacks to limit the amount of empty calories 

you eat or drink. Check that these products 

have fewer calories than the regular products.

■ When planning get-togethers, find ways to 

cut back on sugar, salt, and fat as you prepare 

your favorite recipes. For example, instead of 

frying meat and veggies, bake or grill them to 

cut down on the amount of fat. And use lowfat, low-sugar mayo and dressings.

■ If you love dessert or have a sweet tooth, 

replace cakes, cookies, and other treats with 

fresh fruit and low-fat or fat-free yogurt. 

What if I can’t drink milk?

Milk is a good source of calcium and vitamin 

D. If you can’t digest lactose (the sugar found 

in milk), try these foods for calcium:

 dark leafy vegetables like collard greens 

or kale 

 “lactose-reduced” low-fat or fat-free milk, 

or soy beverages with added calcium and 

vitamin D

 orange juice with calcium

TOOLS YOU CAN USE
 4 | Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

Choose foods and beverages with 

few or no empty calories.

Some examples of foods and beverages that 

provide nutrients, shown in forms with and 

without empty calories, are:

Foods and Beverages 

with Some Empty 

Calories

Foods and Beverages 

with Few or No Empty 

Calories

fried chicken baked chicken breast 

without skin

whole milk fat-free milk

sugar-sweetened cereal whole-grain cereal

fruit canned in syrup fruit canned in 100 

percent fruit juice

Making better choices, like baking instead of 

frying chicken, can help you cut down on the 

added sugars and solid fats you eat or drink.

Think of ways you can cut empty-calorie foods 

and beverages. 

Write down your ideas about how you will 

replace empty-calorie foods and beverages with 

healthier options. Once you have made one 

change and are used to it, you can make another. 

How many calories you need to stay healthy 

depends on your age, genes, sex, height, weight, 

and how active you are. In general, men need more 

calories than women do, and younger adults need 

more calories than adults in midlife and older. Talk 

to your doctor about your calorie needs.

Limit salt.

Sodium (salt) can increase your blood pressure. 

The Dietary Guidelines advise that African 

Americans should aim for no more than 1,500 mg 

a day, including sodium from processed foods. 

Before buying packaged foods, read the Nutrition 

Facts label to find out how much sodium, solid 

fat, and other nutrients are in one serving of the 

food. The label also tells you how many servings 

are included in the package. 

For more information and tools to help you 

plan healthy meals, read the WIN brochure Just 

Enough for You: About Food Portions and visit the 

ChooseMyPlate website. Both are listed in the 

Resources section of this fact sheet.

Empty-calorie food #1

Healthier option #1

Empty-calorie food #2

Healthier option #2

Empty-calorie food # 3

Healthier option #3
Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans | 5

How can I be more physically active?

To improve your health, aim for at least 150 

minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 

per week (or 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week). 

This type of activity speeds up your heart rate and 

breathing. You should be able to speak several 

words in a row while doing aerobic activities, but 

you should not be able to have a long chat. 

Physical activity can be broken up into 10-minute 

sessions throughout the day. For example, take a 

brisk 10-minute walk before work, one after lunch, 

and another after dinner to get to 30 minutes a day.

To lose weight and keep it off, you may need more 

activity. Aim for 300 minutes per week (or 60 

minutes a day, 5 days a week).

Try these moderate-intensity activities to reach 

your goal:

■ walking briskly

■ water aerobics

■ gardening

Hair Care Tips

You can be active and still keep your hair looking 

good. Talk to your hair stylist about a hair care 

routine and style that fit your active life. Try 

these ideas:

 a natural hairstyle or a style that can be 

wrapped or pulled back

 a short haircut

 braids, twists, or locs

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

As you become more comfortable, consider 

adding more vigorous activities. Examples 

include these:

■ running

■ aerobic dancing

■ heavy gardening (digging and shoveling)

In addition to aerobic activity, on at least 2 days 

per week, try activities that strengthen your 

muscles. Examples are exercises that use hand 

weights or your own body weight. 

Think about your weekly goal and the activities 

you will do each day to meet your goal. 

Try these ideas:

■ Ask a friend or family member to be your 

workout buddy and plan an activity together. 

Sign up for a low-cost fitness class at a 

local center or make plans to visit a park or 

museum where you can walk together safely. 

■ Take a daily 15-minute walk if your schedule 

allows and you can do so safely. If the weather 

is bad or you don’t have a safe place to take a 

walk near your home, visit a local shopping 

center and walk indoors.
 6 | Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans

■ In addition to your moderate-intensity 

activities, build physical activity into the 

things you do every day. This can be very 

helpful when your time is limited or you need 

to care for your children. Do housework with 

energy, park farther away, or get off public 

transportation one block earlier and walk the 

rest of the way.

Write down your goals for getting more active 

and how you will meet them. Track your progress 

to help you stick with it.

Stay on track.

Once physical activity becomes a part of your 

routine, you need to stick with it. Keep things 

interesting, avoid slip-ups, and find ways to cope 

with what life throws at you. Try these ideas if 

you start to slip:

■ Plan ahead to avoid setbacks. Find a backup 

activity you can do in case of bad weather or 

injury. If you do have a setback, regroup and 

focus on meeting your goal again as soon as 

you can.

■ Mix up your routine with new activities, 

physical activity buddies, and healthy 

rewards.

■ Make physical activity a social event. When 

you invite your friends and family to join 

you, physical activity can be fun. Perhaps 

members of your place of worship may 

want to start a physical activity program or 

walking club.

For more ideas, see the WIN brochure Changing 

Your Habits: Steps to Better Health, listed under 

Resources.

Goal:

How will I meet my goal?:

Start Date:

Goal:

 

How will I meet my goal?:

Start Date:

Goal:

 

How will I meet my goal?:

Start Date:
Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans | 7

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

Beat your physical activity roadblocks!

If you...

don’t have child care

Then try this...

Be active with your children: bike, play tag, or walk 

together.

If you...

don’t like or don’t want to exercise

Then try this...

Do something you enjoy, like dancing to the radio 

or planning active outings with family or friends.

If you...

don’t have a safe place near your home to be active

Then try this...

Work out in your home to a video from the library 

or walk in a local shopping center.

The path to improving your eating, drinking, and regular physical activity habits isn’t easy. 

But don’t give up. Remember, consuming healthy foods, beverages, and snacks and getting 

regular physical activity over time are key to a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Research

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts and supports a 

broad range of basic and clinical obesity research. More information about obesity research is available at 

http://www.obesityresearch.nih.gov. 

Clinical trials are research studies involving people. Clinical trials look at safe and effective new ways to 

prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as 

improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. To learn more about clinical trials, why they 

matter, and how to participate, visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website at http://www.nih.gov/

health/clinicaltrials. For information about current studies, visit http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov. 
 8 | Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans

Resources

Additional Reading from the Weight-control Information Network

You can find the following publications online at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications

and by calling WIN toll-free at 1–877–946–4627:

■ Better Health and You: Tips for Adults helps adults plan steps toward consuming 

healthier foods and beverages and being more physically active. Featuring a tear-off 

tip sheet perfect for posting on your fridge, this brochure also explains the benefits 

of getting healthy and the harmful effects of being overweight (available online at 

http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/better_health.htm).

■ Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health explains how people can take small 

steps to become more physically active and consume healthier foods and beverages 

(available online at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/changing-habits.htm).

■ Do You Know Some of the Health Risks of Being Overweight? This fact sheet 

explains the harmful effects of being overweight and the benefits of losing weight 

(available online at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/health_risks.htm).

■ Just Enough for You: About Food Portions explains the difference between 

a portion and a serving, and offers tips to help readers choose healthy portions 

(available online at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm).

■ Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better is a WIN program designed to help black 

women move more and make healthy food and beverage choices. It offers several 

publications available from the WIN website, listed above.

Additional Resources

■ 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS). Discusses the benefits of physical activity and the types and 

amounts that Americans need to stay healthy: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines.

■ Aim for a Healthy Weight. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Provides tips and tools for assessing your weight and health risk, and controlling 

your weight: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/.

■ ChooseMyPlate. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Provides many resources, 

including online tools for finding out how many calories you need and ways to 

consume healthy foods and beverages and increase physical activity. The menu 

planner can help you make healthier meals based on federal dietary guidelines: 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov.

■ Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. HHS and USDA. Provides detailed information 

on how to consume healthier foods and beverages: http://www.health.gov/

DietaryGuidelines.

■ National Diabetes Education Program. Publications offer information about diabetes 

and obesity prevention and control. The catalog also offers resources specifically for 

African Americans: 1–888–693–6337 or http://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org.

■ National Kidney Disease Education Program. Publications provide information 

about detecting and managing kidney disease as well as the impact of kidney disease 

on African Americans: http://nkdep.nih.gov/resources.shtml.

■ Online Body Mass Index Calculator. NHLBI. An online tool for calculating your BMI: 

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.

Inclusion of resources is for information only and does not imply endorsement by NIDDK 

or WIN.

Weight-control 

Information Network

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3665

Phone: 202–828–1025

Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627

Fax: 202–828–1028

Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

https://www.facebook.com/win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information Network 

(WIN) is a national information service 

of the National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 

part of the National Institutes of Health 

(NIH). WIN provides the general public, 

health professionals, and the media with 

science-based, up-to-date, culturally 

relevant materials and tips. Topics include 

how to consume healthy foods and 

beverages, barriers to physical activity, 

portion control, and eating and physical 

activity myths. 

Publications produced by WIN are 

carefully reviewed by both NIDDK 

scientists and outside experts. This fact 

sheet was also reviewed by Delia Smith 

West, Ph.D., SmartState Endowed 

Chair, Technology Center to Advance 

Healthful Lifestyles and Professor, 

Department of Exercise Science, Arnold 

School of Public Health, University 

of South Carolina; and Irmina Ulysse, 

Diabetes Prevention Program Director, 

YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. 

This publication is not copyrighted. 

You are encouraged to download the 

publication, make copies and distribute 

widely. This fact sheet is also available at 

http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov.

You may also find additional information 

about this topic by visiting MedlinePlus 

at http://www.medlineplus.gov.

National Institutes of Health

NIH Publication No. 08–3494

Updated June 2014

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®