On Sept. 28 help someone close to you do the right thing for their health.
WHO: AARP Michigan
WHAT:
African Americans face a higher risk of serious health conditions, including diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, asthma and obesity. Despite that, many African Americans avoid going to the doctor and don’t schedule regular checkups.
AARP Michigan, in partnership with the Tom Joyner Morning Show – a nationally syndicated African American radio show – is encouraging African Americans to take their loved ones to the doctor on September 28: “Take a Loved One to the Doctor” Day.
“We realize that often when people see a doctor, the recommendation is weight loss and exercise,” Lisa Whitmore Davis, AARP Michigan Associate State Director of Community Engagement said. “On September 28, AARP Michigan will provide an opportunity for people of all ages and fitness levels to try a variety of fun and easy fitness activities to get them started on the road to better health. These activities will include the new dance exercise Zumba, Pilates, low impact chair exercises with Ernie Clark, and the hustle dance with the Detroit dance legend, Fast Freddie.”
“This is a very, very important event because surveys show that we [African-Americans] are more at risk of disease,” Ernie Clark (aka “Couch Potatoe”), health guru and founder of Powersit™ said. “I want African Americans more involved in exercising…our community profits from this and the mind and body need it. This event is a step in that direction.”
This day will include FREE on-site activities such as health screenings, healthy living seminars, a variety of nutrition and wellness tips and testing provided by national and local sponsors at the Northwest Activities Center.
WHEN:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 from 6am – 3pm
WHERE:
Northwest Activities Center
18100 Meyers Road
Detroit, MI 48235
WHY:
By 2045, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than half of the population in the U.S. will be persons of color. Despite significant improvements in the nation’s overall health, persons of color continue to have disproportionately high disease and mortality rates.
Health disparities increase costs in addition to reducing quality of life. Diabetes, for example, which disproportionately affects persons of color, is estimated to cost approximately $100 billion annually for direct medical and treatment costs and indirect costs attributed to disability and mortality.
AARP is actively engaged in efforts to address disparities in health status.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.