Big Black Women

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.

seasonalvoodoo

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.

Agreed! BMI takes virtually nothing into account; it's ridiculous!

nawlinsned

You're the only person who has to live with yourself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so the opinions of other people about whether you are too thin or not is secondary as long as you are healthy. Focus on what makes you feel good, and don't worry about what the preconception is. When they're all 60 years old and struggling with heart disease, joint pain, arthritis, and diabetes, you'll be fit, happy, and healthy. Besides, all you gotta do is find one person who loves you for who you are and how you are.

kadoodle76

Amen! I love when a woman can feel beautiful no matter what she weighs, but we should want to be healthy too. Men make comments on how much they love my "big booty" but that does'nt make me like being big and jiggly. It really is tough tho when you don't have a lot of money for the best food and a gym membership. It is possible tho, to be healthy no matter your income or neighborhood or race.

TenLaws

I didn't say Black women are naturally overweight; I said many of them, not all, naturally have curves. I don't believe women of any race are naturally big, and the fact that you inferred that having curves means you're big demonstrates your misunderstanding. Many Black people get heart disease and diabetes from their lifestyle choices, which should not be justified. I'm not speaking about those people. I'm talking about the women who have hourglass figures who are not overweight and feel ashamed because the BMI scale doesn't accommodate them. I'm talking about the women who have toned hips, thighs, and abs but are still considered "overweight" by BMI standards. You really do sound resentful of your upbringing, and your opinions and selective usage of data are skewed. I'm sick of this thread and hopefully there's a way to remove it from my topic list. Say what you will, but I won't be returning to read any of it. Good luck in your endeavors.

nawlinsned

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.

Yep, it's unlikely to change as long as we continue to subsidize grain production, which in turn makes corn syrup extremely affordable. We evolved in a world of scarcity, and our bodies just can't keep up with all these high-calorie, high-sugar, high-fat foods.

I hear ya with the cuisine thing, too. Being from Southeast Louisiana, we have French, Spanish, African/Creole, and Cajun influences. It's like the axis of overeating here.

nawlinsned

Agreed! BMI takes virtually nothing into account; it's ridiculous!

The BMI says I should weigh 197 pounds. I haven't been 197 pounds since 10th grade, and I was a fit kid.

ritafay2011

GREAT POST!!!!!..:flowerforyou:

seasonalvoodoo

Agreed! BMI takes virtually nothing into account; it's ridiculous!

The BMI says I should weigh 197 pounds. I haven't been 197 pounds since 10th grade, and I was a fit kid.

I hear you! It says I should weigh 145...which I weighed for like 1 nanosecond in 8th grade!

LisaCFSF

This has been an interesting thread to read. I agree that cultural & social norms vary for a multitude of races. I am Cherokee & Creek Indian, Irish, Scottish, a tiny bit of French/German, and whatever got mixed in along the way... I am generally considered to be "white" by most people. I have curves and always have, even many years ago when I weighed a too thin (looking back) 115# at 5'7.

I was very athletic over the years and developed a lot of muscle mass and gained about 35#. However, I have gained another 45-50# in the last several years due to a variety of issues both within (food/lifestyle choices) and outside (medical issues and injuries) of my control. I essentially killed my metabolism by not eating regular meals (eating only 1-2 times a day and not always the best choices). I eat relatively healthy the vast majority of the time and am incredibly active and adventurous as well as work out very vigorously. However, I struggle with my weight. I want to be healthier, feel better, and yes-look better.

There are cultures such as Samoan women who were appreciated and viewed as beautiful to be what is technically overweight to obese by most standards. The thing is that there was virtually little to no reported incidences of eating disorders until they were exposed to American television and media with a very different view of appropriate female beauty.

Whether your heritage is Hispanic, Black, White, American or Eastern Indian, Asian, a mixture, or other; you need to be happy with yourself. Your health is the most important so if losing weight helps decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc; then by all means-DO IT! As for what you makes you feel good about yourself in terms of appearance (within realistic and healthy parameters), do what makes YOU feel good! It's hard enough for most of us (I imagine-myself included) to have a good self-image without any body dysmorphic complications or attempts to become some unrealistic media promoted image that is unattainable for the majority of the world. I know it's hard when you don't get the support that you feel you need.
LOVE yourself and try not let the opinions of others bring you down, surround yourself with positive people whenever possible, and accept you for you!

I tell myself this on a daily basis and am doing my best to embrace it and love myself regardless of what the scale (or anyone else) says.

LisaCFSF

PS: I LOVE to cook too!

Southern home cooking just like my Mamo did
AND everything imaginable from nearly every other culture imaginable!

SkateboardFi

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.

I hear ya with the cuisine thing, too. Being from Southeast Louisiana, we have French, Spanish, African/Creole, and Cajun influences. It's like the axis of overeating here.

sorry to get off subject but where are you from exactly? i practically grew up on the westbank

nawlinsned

Luling. Most of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants are in Gretna.

HollieDoodles

I was engaged to a black man last year. When I first met his family (they were all large women and muscular men), they all commented about my body. I was embarrassed because being from a primarily whitish family, we didn't ever comment on each others bodies unless we were really close to them and they asked or something.... His family was quite open about their comments. Not bad comments, they said I had a body that a black woman would be jealous of. At the time that I met them, I was 60 lbs lighter. I was really curvy, but still had some weight I could lose. Then I was in school full time and gained weighted pretty steadily. Over the next several months whenever I went to spend time with his family, they looked me up and down and would say how good I was looking and that I looked even better. They were the sweetest family ever, so I thought they were just being kind about my weight gain. I later found out that they actually thought it looked better if you were larger. I was eventually told that when we first met, I looked gaunt and needed some home cookin'.

I'm not saying this is bad. I'm just saying that it's different than what I was used to. I can see how it could be hard to go against the norm in your culture. I applaud you for living a healthier life for YOU and for still loving and embracing your beautiful culture.

Blessings,
Hollie

sleepytexan

In all honesty, America is FAT, and it has been getting fatter since the '70s at a terrifying rate. EVEN ASIANS ARE FAT IN AMERICA!! This applies to ALL races in America; if you don't believe it, take a look at some photos of people in the early 70s or before -- yourself, your family, any random people at all--how do they look? a bit different than the general population today, eh?

We are fat because we eat junk. We make excuses that it's cheaper, easier, whatever, but it is what it is. My great grandmother had 14 children. FOURTEEN CHILDREN. She lived on a farm and they grew all their own food. She did not have a car, she did not have a dishwasher, she did not have INDOOR PLUMBING. She was poor. She was thin.

Poor people used to be thin. Now poor people are fat? No. Americans are fat because we have become lazy and forgotten what real food is and how to prepare it.

Tell you what, a few years ago I visited Armenia 3 times. I am 5'4 and weighed about 130 lbs (right what I weigh now) at the time. I was a fitness instructor then, as I am now. Guess what? I was F-A-T in Armenia. My luggage was lost and after 5 days I went to shop for a new skirt. I could not fit in size large there. That's right, Miss Size 4 (American fake-vanity size 4, of course) could not fit into an Armenian size large.

They do not have McDonald's, they do not use microwaves, they do not have partially hydrogenated oils or even prepared foods in their grocery stores! You want a jar of spaghetti sauce? forget it! Buy some tomatoes, onions and herbs and make it yourself. Interesting, in the capital city, Yerevan, there are very few middle class people--you see rich people in Hummers, and you see old ladies walking with donkeys, but NO ONE IS FAT.

There is no solution in "accepting" that you will always be fat, or that your certain race is meant to be fat, or skinny or whatever.

You control what you eat. You decide what to buy. A meal at McDonald's for my family of 6 is NOT cheap. It would cost over $45 and have essentially no nutritional value. However, tonight I will grill a 2-lb. organic marinated tri tip from Whole Foods for about $23, a 1/4 lb. of cabbage slaw from their salad bar ($1.75) and a bag of organic tortillas for about $4. I will make guacamole from 2 avocados ($1.50) a some chopped onion and tomato and a squeeze of lemon. Also I think I will grill some asparagus (2.99 for a pound), and serve some fresh strawberries and raspberries ($5 from farmers market).

So tonight for LESS THAN $40, my family of 6 will enjoy tri-tip soft tacos with homemade guacamole, asparagus, and fresh berries for dinner. And we will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

blessings.

OneBryteSmile

I don't think Beyonce is overweight.

Agree. I was like WTH? I'd love to be B's size.

OneBryteSmile

(But I was totally expecting that this was a post by some misinformed-about-MFP guy looking for cybersex.)

-LP

LMAO, I was kind of thinking the same thing.

sleepytexan

However, tonight I will grill a 2-lb. organic marinated tri tip from Whole Foods for about $23, a 1/4 lb. of cabbage slaw from their salad bar ($1.75) and a bag of organic tortillas for about $4. I will make guacamole from 2 avocados ($1.50) a some chopped onion and tomato and a squeeze of lemon. Also I think I will grill some asparagus (2.99 for a pound), and serve some fresh strawberries and raspberries ($5 from farmers market).

So tonight for LESS THAN $40, my family of 6 will enjoy tri-tip soft tacos with homemade guacamole, asparagus, and fresh berries for dinner. And we will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

blessings.

EDIT: fish tacos instead. I just bought 2 lbs. tiliapia for $5.19. That makes a VERY HEALTHY meal (about 300 cals) for 6 for just over $20. Beat that, McDonald's.

Stephanie08

enlightening thanks for posting

Schwiggity

In all honesty, America is FAT, and it has been getting fatter since the '70s at a terrifying rate. EVEN ASIANS ARE FAT IN AMERICA!! This applies to ALL races in America; if you don't believe it, take a look at some photos of people in the early 70s or before -- yourself, your family, any random people at all--how do they look? a bit different than the general population today, eh?

We are fat because we eat junk. We make excuses that it's cheaper, easier, whatever, but it is what it is. My great grandmother had 14 children. FOURTEEN CHILDREN. She lived on a farm and they grew all their own food. She did not have a car, she did not have a dishwasher, she did not have INDOOR PLUMBING. She was poor. She was thin.

Poor people used to be thin. Now poor people are fat? No. Americans are fat because we have become lazy and forgotten what real food is and how to prepare it.

Tell you what, a few years ago I visited Armenia 3 times. I am 5'4 and weighed about 130 lbs (right what I weigh now) at the time. I was a fitness instructor then, as I am now. Guess what? I was F-A-T in Armenia. My luggage was lost and after 5 days I went to shop for a new skirt. I could not fit in size large there. That's right, Miss Size 4 (American fake-vanity size 4, of course) could not fit into an Armenian size large.

They do not have McDonald's, they do not use microwaves, they do not have partially hydrogenated oils or even prepared foods in their grocery stores! You want a jar of spaghetti sauce? forget it! Buy some tomatoes, onions and herbs and make it yourself. Interesting, in the capital city, Yerevan, there are very few middle class people--you see rich people in Hummers, and you see old ladies walking with donkeys, but NO ONE IS FAT.

There is no solution in "accepting" that you will always be fat, or that your certain race is meant to be fat, or skinny or whatever.

You control what you eat. You decide what to buy. A meal at McDonald's for my family of 6 is NOT cheap. It would cost over $45 and have essentially no nutritional value. However, tonight I will grill a 2-lb. organic marinated tri tip from Whole Foods for about $23, a 1/4 lb. of cabbage slaw from their salad bar ($1.75) and a bag of organic tortillas for about $4. I will make guacamole from 2 avocados ($1.50) a some chopped onion and tomato and a squeeze of lemon. Also I think I will grill some asparagus (2.99 for a pound), and serve some fresh strawberries and raspberries ($5 from farmers market).

So tonight for LESS THAN $40, my family of 6 will enjoy tri-tip soft tacos with homemade guacamole, asparagus, and fresh berries for dinner. And we will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

blessings.

Are you really trying to say that socioeconomic status has nothing to do with healthy food availability and then trying to say Whole Foods is affordable?

knachelle

Great points! I so agree with you!