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.

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.

The Farm Bill touches the lives of every American. From the hundreds of thousands of farmers who grow our fruits and vegetables and raise our livestock to the millions of hungry Americans who depend on federal feeding programs, no one can deny the importance of this legislation.

Over the past couple of weeks members of Congress have been taking part in a challenge to live on the average food stamp budget, a public experiment that comes in the midst of an ongoing debate about whether people receiving food assistance should be allowed to spend government dollars on junk food and soda.