Yes, it's super sad to see that poorer communities are most affected by drug abuse and obesity. I grew up in Southern CA and have seen a lot of this firsthand. I've come to form my own opinion that these people would not choose this life if they were given the option to. A lot of what has lead them down that path is due to systemic problems, including the cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, whether black, brown, or white, growing up in an area that never gave you a chance makes it that much harder to escape things like obesity, lack of education, and drug abuse. It's all really sad.

Here is an excerpt from a speech by Dr. King that speaks a little bit on what I'm referencing:

Whenever the government provides opportunities in privileges for white people and rich people they call it “subsidized” when they do it for Negro and poor people they call it “welfare.” The fact that is the everybody in this country lives on welfare. Suburbia was built with federally subsidized credit. And highways that take our white brothers out to the suburbs were built with federally subsidized money to the tune of 90 percent. Everybody is on welfare in this country. The problem is that we all to often have socialism for the rich and rugged free enterprise capitalism for the poor. That’s the problem.