Anti-obesity meds can reduce health disparities and save Black lives

by Jonathan Kinloch,& Wayne County Commissioner (District 2)& Over 35% of adults in Michigan are living with obesity, including 42% of Black adults. Obesity disproportionately impacts communities of color who already face systemic inequities in healthcare.& Higher rates of obesity put communities of color at a greater risk for other serious chronic diseases.& Black Americans are& 77% and Latinx Americans are 66%more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes compared to their white counterparts, a disease that increases the likelihood for life threatening conditions like heart disease and stroke. Solving systemic racial inequity in our healthcare system will require comprehensive action, and outdated policies barring access to affordable obesity care are further exacerbating health disparities. Those suffering from obesity are too often blamed for their weight; constantly being told they are not making good decisions.& From friends and family to their own healthcare providers, they experience discrimination and bias from all sides. Many have searched high and low for affordable options and treatments to help manage what& since 2013, the medical community has acknowledged as a disease. After finally finding providers who want to help, for many, they find the treatment is not covered by insurance so simply out of reach....