Living Healthy on the East Side

Alliance for African American Health - Austin, Texas

Marva Overton leads the Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas, a nonprofit community based organization formed to meet health challenges facing African Americans here. 

Healthy Living on the East Side will confront all of the major health challenges here, starting with obesity--which causes hundreds of excess deaths and very high rates of diabetes among African Americans. 

Obesity is like an epidemic among African Americans here in Travis County and it is the single greatest cause of excess deaths here.

2/5 of African Americans are obese
1/5 of Whites are obese

Why are African American adults and children at high risk for obesity and the diseases it causes?

This is a huge and complicated problem with no single answer...

...but some things are obvious.

We should all drink:

Less soda and more water!

What do you think about the no soda during the school week challenge?

What are your ideas?

We welcome comments!

This project is supported by the Austin/Travis County Health & Human
Services Department (COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION GRANT) and
coordinated by the University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus.