[ad_1]
The iconic musician, actress and discussion leader is urging women around the world to make their mental, physical and emotional well-being a priority.
The link between physical and mental health is important.
In fact, the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not only consists of an absence of disease or illness. ;infirmity."
Queen Latifah could not agree more.
It is for this reason that the famous celebrity has teamed up with Cigna as a spokesperson for her Go Knowledge program. Take the control campaign to help raise awareness of the connection between emotional and physical health.
"I wanted to involve myself in [this] because many of us do not treat our physical and mental / emotional health together, "Latifah told Healthline. "People have trouble opening up and being honest about emotional or mental things."
She added, "But it's important to talk about it because you can not do anything about it unless you start discussing it and getting the help you need."
The campaign encourages people to plan annual health checkups, even when they do not feel physically sick.
"The problem is that we can not see what's going on in our body in the same way as what's going on outside. You may spend a lot of time repairing your hair, make-up or clothes because you can see what's going on. But you can not really see what's going on inside your body and some things you can not feel, "Latifah said.
She emphasized the importance of annual physical exams and the role they play in good preventive care. They can help doctors recognize and treat potential problems before they become a more serious health problem.
"We have to take our physical exams because our doctors can do blood tests every year. [and may discover] a number that is not where it should be, "said Latifah.
As part of its campaign, Cigna travels the country and goes to the local communities to organize free health screenings according to four key figures: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index.
For Latifah, this aspect of the campaign is particularly close to his heart. Knowing these four biometric values can help prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes, three conditions that affect African-American women more, according to the report. (CDC).
In fact, the CDC reports that about 7.6% of African American women have heart disease, compared to 5.8% of white women and 5.6% of Mexican-American women.
In addition, the American Heart Association states the following:
- Cardiovascular disease kills nearly 50,000 African-Americans every year.
- Among African American women aged 20 and over, 49% suffer from heart disease.
- Only one in five African American women think they are personally at risk.
According to the Bureau of Minority Health (OMH), the risk of diabetes among African Americans is almost twice as high as among non-Hispanic whites.
In addition, they are more likely to present complications related to diabetes, such as end-stage renal failure and lower limb amputations.
As part of its free screenings across the country, Cigna will also have on-site health coaches to answer questions and offer recommendations for managing your health.
"You can find your numbers and bring this information to your doctor when you show up for your annual checkups," Latifah said.
With respect to mental health, people of color are currently more affected.
According to the OMH, African-Americans are 10% more likely than whites to have severe psychological distress, with African-Americans reporting higher rates of feeling:
- sadness
- despair
- uselessness
- a feeling that everything is an effort
"We have so much business sometimes, as African American women, that we feel we do not have time to stop and take care of ourselves because we have so many other things to deal with. "said Latifah. "The truth is that if we do not take care of ourselves, we can not take care of everyone else properly. We must make our health a top priority. "
Latifah says he has seen the consequences of neglect of loved ones by physical and mental complications in the hope of managing them alone.
She also commented that she had seen other people "looking for help and I saw the difference that it could make and how they would have liked to be able to do it a lot." earlier".
She hopes that campaigns like Cigna can help create positive change for black women and improve the health of the whole body for all.
"As a woman of color brought up by a woman of color … we have already had enough battles to climb with so many disparities in another way. So, the more we can do to help ourselves, the better. As soon as we start taking our health seriously and doing something we will have to do, we will be [all the] better."
Cathy Cassata is an independent writer who specializes in stories about health, mental health and human behavior. She has the gift of emotionally writing and communicating with readers in a perceptive and engaging manner. Read more of his work here.
[ad_2]
Source link