I read an article on CNN's website and I was inspired. The article is about Pastor Keith Troy and the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.

Pastor Troy has begun to help improve the physical health of his congregation. He decided to do this after one of his parishioners died from complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. Pastor Troy was tired of watching his male parishioners die from diseases that could have been prevented.

Take Action

To prevent another needless death Pastor Troy:

• Made a list with the names and phone numbers of all of his male members
• Requested that all of the men see a physician in the next three months
• Offered to help pay, if they could not afford it
• Offered to provide transportation, if they had none
• Monitored their compliance via the telephone

Many of us, including myself, go around preaching the gospel of weight loss and disease prevention; but we do not get any results. We don't get any results because talk is cheap.

Some of us, including myself, do not discuss health issues with certain people we love. We stay silent because we don't want to offend people or hurt their feelings. I guess we rather they die instead.

This article and the bold actions of Pastor Troy have inspired me to take some action. Being a good example and talking to people is not enough.

Action Plan

Here is what we need to do:

• Go get your annual check-up and age-appropriate screening test, if you have not seen a doctor in the last year. You don't want to be a hypocrite.
• Talk to all of friends and family members about improving their health
• Encourage all of your friends and family members to go to a doctor to get their annual check-up and age appropriate screening test
• If you can afford it and they cannot, offer to help them pay
• If you have transportation and they do not, offer to drive the
• Sit down next to them when they make the appointment
• Follow up with them after the visit
• Most importantly, if they need to lose weight, tell them to buy my Don't Go Broke Weight Loss Plan. That's what I would do if I loved someone. LOL!