There are few stories that cause me to sprint to Facebook and Twitter, but a widely read New York Times opinion editorial by Alice Randall arguing that black women are the most obese group in America because "we want to be" caused me to do just that. Curious to hear what my African-American sister-friends had to say about Randall's claim that we are large because we are seeking acceptance from black men who prefer "sugar down below," I was surprised when the response to my posting was met with... radio silence.

I will never forget the time when I visited my parent's church on "Diabetes Sunday," a program of the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness about the disease within the African-American community. A brochure in the church bulletin highlighted the dangers and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the African-American community and how obesity is a causal factor. After the service, we made our way to the fellowship hall to celebrate Black History Month. As we began to chow down on unhealthy foods and sugary drinks, nobody blinked at the hypocrisy.

Today and again in two weeks all eyes will be on Beyonce Knowles as she performs at the inauguration and Super Bowl. As someone who has music from every solo album Beyonce has ever recorded, I can say that I have been a long time fan. So I never thought I would be giving people -- especially children and communities of color -- this piece of advice: do not listen to Beyonce.

Agriculture is a hot topic these days. Americans are more and more concerned about where their food comes from, if it is organic, and if their beef was grass orgrain fed. But one topic frequently eludes our dialogues: labor. Its no surprise to many that farm laborers frequently work an exhaustive number of hoursweekly for abysmally low wages.

Republican Governor Rick Scott announced his support of Medicaid expansion this Wednesday. This was surprising due to his avid disagreement with the Affordable Care Act prior to last year’s Supreme Court ruling that upholds the law.

While the debates continue as to whether or not the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should be implemented, a key component of health reform that is often overlooked includes health equity and the elimination of disparities in health status and healthcare among vulnerable populations.

Imagine living with no toilet in your home, village or slum. As a woman, your best option for privacy is to walk to the bush or an open field to urinate, defecate, or manage your menstrual hygiene needs, or to risk dirty crowded alleyways because latrine blocks are unavailable to you. But you know it’s not safe after dark: people are robbed, murdered, and raped. Now, imagine it’s the middle of the night, and you really need to go. What do you do?

Over the past several years, suicide rates among our veterans have increased significantly, to nearly 18 each day.  Many of these cases are the result of the inability of our nation’s veterans to access the care they need, when they need it.

It isn’t often that we get to see American teens in peak physical condition showcasing their athleticism on the world stage. So it was especially thrilling to watch the U.S. women’s gymnastics team—and other young Olympians—win gold at this summer’s London Olympics. Their achievements are an important reminder that it is still possible to be young and fit in America. But the sad fact is that the opportunity to be healthy is still eluding too many children and youth.

It’s harder for smokers to find places to light up these days - cigarettes face increasing regulation and heavy taxation around the world. But the tobacco industry isn’t worried. Just last month, the chief executive of Reynolds American, the parent company of R.J. Reynolds, touted to stockholders a 35 percent increase in net income and a profitable future ahead.