Obesity, hypertension and diabetes are just three diseases that disproportionately affect communities of color.

It's very difficult to tease out the difference between purely physical illnesses and psychological illnesses that manifest themselves in real physical symptoms.

If somebody thinks he's sick, he can actually think himself into being sick. An illness can be just as real to you as if it were documented on a CAT scan.

As childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to rise at unprecedented rates, it is crucial that families make nutrition and exercise an everyday priority. There are many simple changes that can become lifelong habits. These include making neighborhood walks part of a family's routine, making fruits and vegetables available at home and at school and reducing the amount of sugar in beverages and baked goods.

People who say obesity has been hyped are wrong.

Obesity is not a minor problem. It actually reduces life expectancy by a quarter.