Body & Soul

Body & Soul: A Celebration of Healthy Eating & Living is a faith-based initiative to encourage African Americans to eat a healthy diet as part of an active lifestyle. The program encourages church members to eat a healthy diet and strive for better health and promotes the national recommendation for Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The program was developed by the American Cancer Society, the University of North Carolina, the University of Michigan, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in an effort to reduce cancer health disparities. Body & Soul is made up of four parts, which are called “pillars”. Pillar one requires a pastor who is committed and involved in the program. Pillar two requires that all church activities, gatherings, and workshops encourage and promote healthy eating. Workshops that teach information and skills regarding a healthy diet are an integral aspect of the second pillar. A Body & Soul Planning team plans and carries out these workshops. Pillar three requires that the church environment promote healthy eating. It is of vital importance that the congregation is surrounded by healthy food choices at church functions and church meals. Pillar four involves the use of peer counseling that motivates church members to eat a healthy diet. One-on-one support helps individuals take more control over their health. All four pillars aim to create a strong support network for churches participating in the program and are essential to the success of the program.

The goal of the Body & Soul program is to encourage African Americans to eat a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables in order to promote health and prevent cancer and other chronic diseases.

Body & Soul has been shown to effectively increase the number of daily servings of fruit and vegetables that African American eat. After six months of the program, participants in Body & Soul consumed significantly more servings of fruits and vegetables than those in the control group. In addition, those in the intervention group consumed fewer calories from fat, expressed greater confidence in their ability to eat fruits and vegetables, and experienced an increase in support from family and friends for eating fruits and vegetables. This evaluation is based on five years of NCI-funded intervention research and an additional five years of NCI and American Cancer Society joint effectiveness study.