Book Reviews from Ebony Magazine and the Arizona Republic Newspaper
on my new book, "Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: Creating a New Cultural Diet."

Ebony Magazine
2006 July Issue


“The fact that African Americans are developing more weight-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancers suggests that we are not connecting the two issues—overweight and chronic disease,” writes medical anthropologist Eric J. Bailey, author of Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: Creating a New Cultural Diet. “So we are not developing long-term solutions for these issues of overweight and obesity in our communities.” (page 80)

Arizona Republic Newspaper
June 14, 2006


“Not only is obesity more prevalent among Black Americans than other ethnic groups, Blacks also are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And they are more likely to experience higher rates of serious complications from the disease, such as blindness, amputation and end-stage renal disease. There are many cultural reasons for the higher rates of obesity, as Bailey cites in his book, having to do not only with food but also with physical activity.”–Arizona Republic

Welcome,

My name is Eric J. Bailey and I am a Medical Anthropologist. You are probably thinking, "What is a Medical Anthropologist?" A Medical Anthropologist is a person who investigates health, illness, diseases and health care systems from a holistic and comprehensive perspective and attempts to understand these issues from the community's or individual's perspective. In general, the individual's and community's perspective are the key for understanding, working with, and developing any cultural intervention.

My academic degrees are as follows:
1. Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology (B.A.) -- Miami University (Ohio) -- 1980
2. Master's Degree in Anthropology (M.A.) -- Miami University (Ohio) -- 1983
3. Doctorate in Anthropology (Ph.D.) -- Wayne State University (Michigan) -- 1988
4. Master's Degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) -- Emory University (Georgia) -- 1996

I have just completed my new book entitled, "Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: An Anthropologist Offers a New Cultural Diet." This new book provides a cultural and holistic analysis of Black American food preferences. I show you how African Americans generally perceive health, body image, food, dieting, physical fitness, and exercise. In fact, my new book offers a new "cultural" diet strategy for us and a way to work together collectively to not only understand this critical health issue but also to start a new cultural lifestyle strategy that will be both effective and manageable for anyone.

You can order my new book through the publisher's website -- Greenwood Publishing or Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com

So I encourage you to take a look at my new book -- "Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: An Anthropologist Offers a New Cultural Diet." Once you read it, let me know what you think about it! There will be more to come!!

Check out my new website: www.newblackculturaldiet.com. It is the follow-up to my new book and it is the best way to learn more about the current issues related to African American diet and fitness.