Big Black Women

TooFine4MFP

I do agree that there is a double standard when it comes to what is considered acceptable in terms of size for black women vs. white women, but I am part of a community of black women who do want to be healthy, who are not in favor of being overweight, and who embrace a more healthy lifestyle. I was 260 lbs and lost down to 180, but I was never criticized for wanting to lose weight, I had nothing but cheers of support from family and friends. I think when women want to lose weight to embrace a superficial image of beauty, thats when its criticized. I realize and accept I will never be a petite size 2 or 4, and this just fine w/ me. I'm happy at my present weight which is 185 and a size 10/12. That may be considered overweight by society's standards, but I am actually more healthy and fit than many people smaller than I am.

I personally have never seen a case where a heavy black woman is preferred over a heavy white woman. From what I have experienced, heavy black women catch alot more flack about weight than heavy white women. I think the reason black women handle being overweight alot easier, is because we come from a background where we have heavy family members and heavy friends, so we don't stand out, where alot of times white women tend to be thinner in general, so when a white woman is heavier it's more obvious. Also, white people have always been celebrated as being diet and exercise conscious and the black race, not so much. Now that is rapidly changing as w/ the black race having statisically higher incidences of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, we are embracing more healthy living.

Weight, diet, fitness, should never be a race issue, but due to how alot of us have been raised, taught, and exposed to, there are some color lines. All of us should embrace healthy living, not fit in to ideal weight standards, or anyone's standards, but because it benefits our health and quality of life.

TenLaws

I think you're missing an important point - many Black women naturally have curves. Beyonce is not overweight. You can have a huge *kitten* and have abs. Look at Serena Williams. It's should never be acceptable to have a gut and chow down on fried chicken all day; belly fat is dangerous, but for those women who naturally have *kitten*, hips, thighs, and breasts no matter how hard they work out and diet, they should embrace who they are. You sound really resentful for not being one of those women. It's true that there are many misguided beliefs when it comes to diet and exercise in the Black community, but a lot of that has political and social underlying factors. Why do most McDonald's commercials target Black audiences? Research and do your history. It's not our fault, but it's definitely time for us to stop being the victim and do something about it.

SkateboardFi

i mean we see this all the time don't we? even mo'nique wrote a book on 'why skinny *****es are evil'...

ummlovelovesyou

Ok, I understand where you're coming from, I'm a big black woman and proud of it girl!

...But am I proud of bein jiggly? Hell No! Thats why I'm on this site, to tone up, to be healthy, and not be considered overweight. I have to disagree with you when you said Beyonce is overweight. Look at her stomach, arms, back. She has no fat there. So she has big thighs. I agree with everyone, black women tend to have bigger curves, so she has hers toned to the MAX and I'm sure if she wanted skinny thighs she would be eating a lot unhealthier. Just sayin, She's my role model.

There are a lot of southern white people who are overweight as well. Mexicans too! EVERYONE stuggles with weight in ALL races and creeds.

Sorry that you were brought up to believe that bigger is beautiful. It happens to so many young african americans. As research develops, and we become more knowledgeable about weight and health, maybe someday things will change. But for now, it's so easy for people to grab McDonalds on their way home from work because it's easier and cheaper in this recession.

Eating healthy has a lot to do with money. Why is it chips and soda are on sale at the grocery store 2 for 1 but strawberries and organic veggies are always expensive? Why is it that every Thanksgiving there is always TONS of leftover food at my Aunt's house? There are so many factors that go along with race and stereotypes of being BIG and black.

As long as you're healthy and comfortable with your body, you do your thang girl.

meekamathers

I think you're missing an important point - many Black women naturally have curves. Beyonce is not overweight. You can have a huge *kitten* and have abs. Look at Serena Williams. It's should never be acceptable to have a gut and chow down on fried chicken all day; belly fat is dangerous, but for those women who naturally have *kitten*, hips, thighs, and breasts no matter how hard they work out and diet, they should embrace who they are. You sound really resentful for not being one of those women. It's true that there are many misguided beliefs when it comes to diet and exercise in the Black community, but a lot of that has political and social underlying factors. Why do most McDonald's commercials target Black audiences? Research and do your history. It's not our fault, but it's definitely time for us to stop being the victim and do something about it.

WOW the responses on this were unexpected and are welcome! I do want to clarify the Beyonce issue so it doesn't become the focus. Nobody on the web, including myself, will ever know her weight. (In fact, she even lied about her age, giving herself a 6 year age drop that wasn't even revealed to around 2006!)
I will agree with everyone and say she is curvy, VERY curvy. The fact that people strongly state that she isn't overweight MAY be a product of our image of what overweight looks like. I use the term overweight as described through the BMI scale. So, if she is 5'7 (give or take, I can't prove height either) she would be considered overweight at 160 pounds or above. So if all those curves can be in 140 or 159 pounds, okay. But that really isn't the point of the post.
There is no evidence, research, or data or really anything to support your statement that Black women are "naturally" overweight. Our bodies (when I say our I mean White, Black, Latina, Asian, ALL) are not designed to be overweight. People who are overweight are more likely to incur high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and LDL cholesterol -- all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Notice I wrote overweight not just obese. That information is derived from the CDC 2010 report. And if you believe Black women are still just naturally bigger, why would deaths from heart disease and stroke are close to twice the rate for Blacks as compared to Whites? That's right, death. African American bodies aren't designed for extra weight. It is not natural it's not biology to be big and die early. It's multiple society factors, including that McDonalds commercial, including statements like its natural for Black women that put us in a dangerous mindset. Knowing it's a choice makes us the opposite of a victim, but a person in control. I hold no resentment towards big black women, or curvy black women. Resentment of other implies I don't know. Well, I was overweight so the experience is there. The tone you hear is not resentment, but a person knowledgeable about her surroundings, her society, and her body. That's a tone of a person resisting what others say is 'natural'.
Thanks to all the comments! Good luck in everyone's healthy journey.

cheddarboy

you should start a blog

Danahimself

you should start a blog

takemeaway10

Eurocentric standards of beauty say that one must be thin in order to be beautiful. However, in the history of our culture, being overweight was a symbol of beauty and wealth.

As far as Beyonce goes, I can't say I know her body fat percentage, but she definitely isn't pressured to be stick-think like some of her pop-singing counterparts.

African-Americans have a rich culture in food that dates back hundreds of years, all the way to our beginnings in America. It's not just common for us to eat fatty foods, it's ritualistic. Mac and cheese isn't mac and cheese without the loads of cheese. This is really the only way we know to stick to our culture and keep hold of the little identity that we have in common with our ancestors.

Then, look at the Italians eating their pasta and the Japanese eating their rice, and ask why WE are getting bigger at a faster rate than other ethnicities and races...

Food deserts. Lots of blacks live in food deserts. This means that there is probably a convenience store closer to them than a grocery store. That is definitely true for me. I won't go into systematic racism, food stamps and WIC, government subsidies... but we have to find a way to change our eating habits while still holding on to some things from the past, like pride and strength.

Schwiggity

I may be mistaken, but I believe certain ethnicities and populations actually genetically are pre-disposed to having a higher body fat percentage.

takemeaway10

WOW the responses on this were unexpected and are welcome! I do want to clarify the Beyonce issue so it doesn't become the focus. Nobody on the web, including myself, will ever know her weight. (In fact, she even lied about her age, giving herself a 6 year age drop that wasn't even revealed to around 2006!)
I will agree with everyone and say she is curvy, VERY curvy. The fact that people strongly state that she isn't overweight MAY be a product of our image of what overweight looks like. I use the term overweight as described through the BMI scale. So, if she is 5'7 (give or take, I can't prove height either) she would be considered overweight at 160 pounds or above. So if all those curves can be in 140 or 159 pounds, okay. But that really isn't the point of the post.

DEATH TO BMI. It is unnecessary. If you are 10-20 above what the BMI chart shays you should be, that weight could be muscle. If you are 100 pounds heavier that what the chart suggests, you probably don't need a chart at that point to tell you that you need to lose weight. Better indicators are yoour hip to waist ratio (at which Beyonce probably fares pretty well) and your body fat percentage (where she may also do well, but could probably use a bit of toning). But, I still see your point; no one is calling her fat, but they're calling size 4 models fat.

takemeaway10

I may be mistaken, but I believe certain ethnicities and populations actually genetically are pre-disposed to having a higher body fat percentage.

I considered that! I'm gonna look into it. All I know is that women in general should have more body fat.

Or, something about where our fat sits. *shrugs*

craft338

this is when everyone went crazy and called her "fat"


and this is from an article where there they talk about her "hot pants and sexy dance moves" with NO mention of her weight

meekamathers

There is the Thrifty Gene Hypothesis. Not yet proven but a theory worth debating. Basically meaning a group or ethnicity of people who once had to go through long periods of time without food due to environmental factors. The hypothesis says thisdeperivation developed a gene to hold on to fat to survive. Now this gene could backfire in modern day times. Nothing really to back this up, but should be mentioned. I believe this was geared more towards Indians. I can't really buy into it for several reasons, especially because all ethnicity historically has had times of deprivation, hunting and foraging. Also this gene has never been identified, just hypothesized and doesn't explain the quantity of food eaten or the lack of movement. ie In 2007, African Americans were reported 50% less likely to engage in active physical activity than White people. It just sucks to even hear stuff like that.

VictorVegaJr

I completely agree with the statement that it has do do with the economic status of most races or ethnicities. I'm full Puerto Rican but my family is middle to upper middle class. We get called the "White Part" of the family. It doesnt just have to deal with weight and food habits but it deals with EVERY aspect of our lives. I can't tell you how many times I hear guys say "I want a girl with that Puerto Rican booty" or something like that. It's all where you are brought up and what you want out of your life. I was raised in a poor neighborhood when I was younger. I can see the differences. Both sides of the argument hold merit.

Keegansmum6

Geez Beyonce has large thighs and a big bum i bet I couldn't pinch an ounce of chub off of those legs,oh and she has a pretty flat tummy if that is overweight I will take it

Atlantique

And if you believe Black women are still just naturally bigger, why would deaths from heart disease and stroke are close to twice the rate for Blacks as compared to Whites? That's right, death. African American bodies aren't designed for extra weight. It is not natural it's not biology to be big and die early. It's multiple society factors

I think that lack of access to healthcare certainly plays a role in some communities, leading to later diagnosis and less consistent treatment. There are also issues with trusting medical professionals or anyone regarded as being part of "the system". There was a great article on SIDS on NPR.org this week showing that it's twice as prevalent in African-American infants, mainly due to distrust of medical professionals who advise placing babies on their backs to sleep. When you have a community with difficulty accessing the healthcare system consistently and distrusting it when they do, you can see how this might result in higher mortality rates for many conditions.

ASaxe23

I hear you!! My black friends actually asked me why I was losing weight and told me that when I got to my goal weight I wouldn't be happy with myself. My family ignores the almost 30lb. I've lost. People tell me I'm beautiful the way I am. God blessed me with the looks I have, but I know he doesn't want to be unhealthy. When I got married and saw the back fat popping out of my dress I wanted to cry. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get so out of control. I know people should be encouraging, but I don't need encouragement to stay unhealthy, I need to to be healthy....It's interesting. I'll never be small. I have a curvaceous frame and I'm proud of it, but I'm not proud of my stomach sticking out , jiggly arms, and back fat...that's what I want to change.

However there are studies that have come out that agree that black women are healthier at higher BMI's that their white counterparts. However this isn't an excuse to go crazy. This is my reasoning for choosing to get to a goal weight of 135-140 for my 5'3 frame instead of 120-130. At my top form (back in my cheerleading days) I was always in the mid 130's with big thighs The smallest I ever wore was a juniors 5...I was in top shape, but my body isn't made to be a 00...and I don't care!

http://caloriecount.about.com/study-shows-black-women-can-healthy-b493869?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20110331&utm_term=continue1

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/25/us-healthy-waist-idUSTRE70O4H320110125

http://womensissues.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=womensissues&cdn=newsissues&tm=16&f=10&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http://sfu.academia.edu/SimiKohli/Papers/72633/Use_of_BMI_and_waist_circumference_as_surrogates_of_body_fat_differs_by_ethnicity

craft338

Geez Beyonce has large thighs and a big bum i bet I couldn't pinch an ounce of chub off of those legs,oh and she has a pretty flat tummy if that is overweight I will take it

not dissagreeing with you! i think she looks fantastic! just saying that it's interesting how different the comments on these pictures were.

brit49

Geez Beyonce has large thighs and a big bum i bet I couldn't pinch an ounce of chub off of those legs,oh and she has a pretty flat tummy if that is overweight I will take it

Me too!!!!!!

sonnyless

I am overweight which is why I am on this site. Yet even when I reach my goal weight which will give me a normal BMI, I may still look overweight to some people. Why? Because I'm naturally curvy and that's simply how I am packaged. But instead of complaining about my curves I have come to accept it. I am making sure that I live a healthy lifestyle and not focus on the opinions of others. As far as using Beyonce as an example. Ummmmm... bad idea. The body that Beyonce has is glorified by the black community.. because.... well she look damn good! And have you seen her recently? The girl looks skinny. I would suggest that you find someone else to use as an example.