NORFOLK, Va.
It’s an October afternoon at Norfolk State University, and the dining
hall on this predominantly Black campus has enough tantalizing choices
to throw graduate student Tina Carroll into a lunchtime dilemma.
Piled in front of her are carrot discs, green peas and steaming squash
chunks. Nearby, breaded chicken patties fan out like meaty playing
cards and french fries glisten in fat-laden glory.
Carroll nibbles her fingernails, her eyes darting between each
selection. At 187 pounds — well above what’s recommended for her
5-foot-2 frame — the 22-year-old knows decisions she makes here could
mean the difference between the bootylicious body of her dreams or a
lifetime of weight problems.
Nationwide, health experts agree the obesity epidemic is striking
deepest among Hispanics and Blacks, with waistlines — and instances of
diabetes, hypertension and stroke — expanding at alarming rates.
Black colleges are stepping in, rolling out veggie-heavy menus,
building walking trails and even enacting campus-wide weight loss
contests. Their aim: to curb the ballooning of Black America by
targeting the next generation.
“Our students are at a prime time in their lives where they can make
choices that can prevent them from having these problems,” said
Cynthia Burwell, head of Norfolk State’s internship programs and an
organizer of the health effort.
