Saturday's wellness event focused on high rate chronic diseases in black men

YOUNGSTOWN

The Rev. Lewis W. Macklin II was happy to see plenty of camaraderie, fellowship and information at a large health-and-wellness event, but to him, the gathering’s greatest importance could be summed up in four words: Get your numbers checked.

“Screening gives folks an idea of where their numbers are,” noted the Rev. Mr. Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side. He was referring to the value of checking blood pressure, glucose, weight, body-mass index and body-fat percentage figures.

That was the main thrust behind Saturday’s 5-kilometer African American Male Wellness Walk/Run initiative at the Covelli Centre, downtown.

An estimated 2,200 people of all ages took part in the event, themed “Healthy men make healthy families.” The gathering was to promote the importance of exercise and a good diet, encourage men to get checked regularly and increase the number of men who visit a doctor yearly, organizers said.

Black men have disproportionately high rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. In addition, the prevalence of high blood pressure in African-American men is the highest in the world, which places them at greater risk for stroke and heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.