Health and Wellness : Put the fork down and read...

Queenie

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Feb 9, 2001
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The mass marketed definition of beauty and healthy in America is to be white (preferably blonde, blue-eyed) and thin. The purpose of this thread is focusing on size, particularly what's considered obese.

"Fat" people in general are discriminated against in America. The more lumps and rolls and width you have from fat deposits, automatically make you the target of ridicule, judgment and bullying. All fat people are thought to lack self-discipline, have low self-esteem, and suffer from depression from loneliness. This applies to adults and children. I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that Jackie Onassis once said, "You can never be rich enough or thin enough."

Why are Americans so obsessed with weight (although I believe Japanese are as well) and why is it that it's always Black and brown women who are said to be the fattest among all women? More importantly, how does this American view, impact the psychological, emotional and physical well-being of Black women?

You can go to reputable sources like the Food, Research and Action Center and find information like the following:

Adult Obesity in the U.S.
More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese (Flegal et al., 2016). In general, rates of obesity are higher for Black and Hispanic women than White women, higher for Black and Hispanic men than White men, higher in the South and Midwest, and tend to increase with age (Flegal et al., 2016; Gregg et al., 2009; Sherry et al., 2010). Research also shows that the heaviest Americans have become even heavier the past decade (Beydoun & Wang, 2009).

Racial-Ethnic Disparities
Recent national data show that 57.2 percent of Black women and 46.9 percent of Hispanic women are obese compared to 38.2 percent of White women (Flegal et al., 2016). Severe obesity continues to be higher among women (9.9 percent) than men (5.5 percent), especially among Black women who have approximately double the rates of severe obesity as White and Hispanic women (16.8 percent versus 9.7 percent and 8.7 percent) (Flegal et al., 2016). Rates of obesity are slightly higher for Black men (38.0 percent) and Hispanic men (37.9 percent) compared to White men (34.7 percent) (Flegal et al., 2016).

Because I know some African cultures prefer their women with curves, and even some AA men do as well, I was curious as to whether there were any health risks due to being a plus-size woman.

According to the National Institute of Health:

Being overweight or obese (determined by your BMI) isn't a cosmetic problem. These conditions greatly raise your risk for other health problems, and there is a long list of what these health problems are reported to be:

Coronary Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Type 2 Diabetes
Abnormal Blood Fats
Metabolic Syndrome
Cancer
Osteoarthritis
Sleep Apnea
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Reproductive Problems
Gallstones


So should AA's be concerned about their weight (BMI) and commit to healthier eating and body movement habits? Overall, I think so and personally, I am.

Calculate whether you're overweight or obese
Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans
 
So should AA's be concerned about their weight (BMI) and commit to healthier eating and body movement habits?

Definitely. And it starts in youth. Teach the children healthier eating habits and show them how to stay active, even when they aren't formally exercising, and it'll come naturally in adulthood.

That's what my parents did.
 
Where did these false stats that Black and Brown women are more often fatter than white women? It's just untrue or all the fat A white women live near me.

All prople are disposed to get fat with an improper diet.

Yarn............
 

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