BMI for African Americans/Blacks/Browns
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My family is originally from the south and I grew up around the attitude that it was weird to be thin.
On my mother's side of my large family, I and one of my cousins are the only ones who are not overweight or obese. One of my cousins has a 13 year old daughter who is 200 pounds. My grandma had diabetes and hypertension, as do my mom and three of my five aunts.
I was a naturally skinny, and I do mean super skinny, child. Even now, I'm not overweight, but at the upper end of the ideal weight range for my height. My body fat percentage is too high for my liking and that's what I'm trying to lower. My thin cousin, who is 17, was overweight but decided to change her lifestyle a couple of years ago.
Of the above, who do you think gets the flak in the family? It's us thinnies, of course. In my teens and 20s, I was often told that I was "too skinny" and had a "white girl booty". One of my aunts who I hadn't seen in a while said to me, "You *still* exercise? Why? You're skinny." Um, I was a size six for all of my adult life up until a few years ago and now I'm a size 12. On my small frame, size 12 is *not* skinny. It's not fat either, but it's definitely not "skinny". And my body size aside, if I were eating right and working out just to stave off the weight correlated diseases that run in the family, I would think that is cause for commendation instead of concern.
My mom and another cousin who I am close to are the only ones I mention my fitness goals to. The rest of my family thinks that I'm "trying to become anorexic" because I want to lose 15 pounds. I have more examples, but you get the point. There were also various comments from family friends over the years. It's sad that it's so culturally ingrained in a lot of black people that being "thick" (irritating use of the word) is perfectly normal, but aiming for a healthy bf% is an eating disorder.
As for curves, my measurements were 36-26-35 when I was a size six and were 38-32(ugh)-40 when I last measured myself in January. Proportionally, my waist and hips are the same and I did and do have an hourglass shape. A smaller clothing size does not equate to being flat as a board.
OMG, you took the words from my mouth. My family is from SC also, and I go through the same thing. Even though I am closer to a being obese and is a size 12, they think I am "skinny." My cousin who just had a baby and has a large abdominal girth says she doesn't need to lose any weight . I could only roll my eyes to myself..lol..My family is annoyed that I workout 6 days a week. I am not trying to be a size 0, but I know what is healthy.0 -
I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies who have a heavily vested interest in the health of people d/t insurance policies. So it is based on averages not individual cases. On average, people above and below certain BMI values have more health issues. It's not perfect but it is an indicator for future and present health.
The BMI was invented by some Belgian guys back in the 1800's, actually. Conspiracy theories: sorry for your loss.
Which ultimately was adapted by scientists for insurers. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
I read and responded to EXACTLY what you wrote which is: "I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies". No need to get so defensive: I was helping you learn, after all.
No, it was my post, but thanks for the educational facts from both of you
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I was pretty sure I had read somewhere that it had to do with insurance companies using it as a general predictor. (not quite seeing though the relevance of the conspiracy theory remark tho........)0 -
Those other things: fried food, biscuits, cake whatever only showed up on holidays or special occasions. The problem is, people started pretending every day was a special occasion. And replacing homemade ingredients with processed stuff.
People really need to get back to the real traditional southern foods: beans, greens, and veggies. Those are the true southern staples.
This is an important point. If you're having fried chicken once a week for Sunday dinner, 1-2 chickens for the whole family, it's NOT an issue! If you're having fried chicken several times a week and eating half a chicken yourself, that's an issue!
BINGO!
I grew up in the south, and we ate pinto beans boiled into a mash almost, homemade cornbread, green beans cooked in a ham hock, and all kinds of good food. I didn't gain weight until well after childhood. Southern food isn't necessarily bad, and the whole "fried chicken" revolution didn't happen until KFC became popular.0 -
Oh dear. I was hoping this would be gone. Since it isn't...
Permit me to tell you about Black women from the South. My ancestors were shipped directly to Charleston, SC from Sierra Leone. Over the course of generations, they were bred for strength, intelligence, and endurance...all culminating in the genetic wonder that is Beastette. NOT so that I can giggle about how my cardiovascular health is declining but my man sure does like some extra booty meat (tee-hee)! That ****z cray.
Lift heavy, eat well, watch your body fat and hip-to-waist ratio, my sisters of all shades. If you need me, I'll be in the squat rack.
Have I told you lately....
That I love you?0 -
I am actually really sick of the BS excuse that southern food is so horrible and unhealthy.
Case in point: typical meals of my grandparents:
1. bakes chicken or some kind of seafood boil or stew (tomato based)
2. beans with a hambone and tomatoes for flavor (the smoked pork is not adding many calories, ham is lean)
3. mustard or collard greens with vinegar (and some smoked pok for flavor. a couple of ounces of pork for a huge pot of greens isn't a problem
4. lots produce from the garden
5. chicken perlou (this is basically a southern equivalent to arroz con pollo or chicken biryani)
6. baked or roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
7. fresh eggs from their chickens or a neighbors
8. home smoked ham/bacon/etc
9. Roasted meats
10. all kinds of combos of beans, rice and veggies (with okra and tomatoes....greens....whatever else)
11. real butter or lard (these things are transfat free and not the villains we make them out to be, you need less fat if the fat is tasty)
12. snacks were nuts or fruits or sweet potatoes at my mom's house (peanuts, pecans, plums, peaches, cucumbers...)
Those other things: fried food, biscuits, cake whatever only showed up on holidays or special occasions. The problem is, people started pretending every day was a special occasion. And replacing homemade ingredients with processed stuff.
People really need to get back to the real traditional southern foods: beans, greens, and veggies. Those are the true southern staples.
Don't forget the grits.
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The statement black women are "fat" because we want to be in a bit overboard...for beginners I dont think obesity has anything to do with race or targets any specific ethnicty...My 6 year old son according to the BMI is overweight and he looks like one of the children on tv that people campaign for to "feed them"...with that being said..i think losing weight is different for everyone..someone can try a method and it works for them and another do the same and it doesn't...so you have to do whats best for you and if you feel you are good and confident with the way you are they hey do you...but its threads like these that have pre-teen girls in the bathroom regurgitating their food because ppl have it in the heads that people are fat because they "want to be"...
To say that all black women want to be fat, or that all of them are fat because they want to be may be a bit overboard, but that still doesn't change the fact that there is a cultural preference of "bigger is better," even when it actually crosses the line into obesity related diseases. As evidenced in several places here, there is a stigma in the black community against wanting to be a healthy weight, and that being overweight/obese (even if they don't think of it that way), especially among women, is culturally encouraged.0 -
yeah i'm pretty sure we are all the same color only goes skin deep so i've heard. all your idea about black body image is cultural which is completely fine! me personally i want to get rid of all my jiggles and excess. if you think you are beautiful where you are than that is all that matters, right !!
and if you think that you are beautiful the way you are now than congratulations because for me it's going to take quite a bit longer but i.m getting there slooooooooowwwwwwwwly.0 -
Okay; so I do feel that black women are built differently. Black women will always look heavier when compared to other races. I don't use being black as an excuse. I work hard to set goals . I know I'll never met BMI standard but as long as i'm healthy it really doesn't matter0
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Black women will always look heavier when compared to other races.
I caution you not to use generalizations and unqualified terms about entire groups even if it's your group. I've known larger, heavy set black women, but I've also known some very petite ones. I myself am on the petite side.0 -
The statement black women are "fat" because we want to be in a bit overboard...for beginners I dont think obesity has anything to do with race or targets any specific ethnicty...My 6 year old son according to the BMI is overweight and he looks like one of the children on tv that people campaign for to "feed them"...with that being said..i think losing weight is different for everyone..someone can try a method and it works for them and another do the same and it doesn't...so you have to do whats best for you and if you feel you are good and confident with the way you are they hey do you...but its threads like these that have pre-teen girls in the bathroom regurgitating their food because ppl have it in the heads that people are fat because they "want to be"...
To say that all black women want to be fat, or that all of them are fat because they want to be may be a bit overboard, but that still doesn't change the fact that there is a cultural preference of "bigger is better," even when it actually crosses the line into obesity related diseases. As evidenced in several places here, there is a stigma in the black community against wanting to be a healthy weight, and that being overweight/obese (even if they don't think of it that way), especially among women, is culturally encouraged.
It's important to remember that the "black community" is not monolithic. I was not raised to think that bigger is better. There are people in my family who are very overweight. They're not happy about it. My view may be a minority one, but I am certainly not unique among African Americans and other people of some African ancestry.0 -
I am actually really sick of the BS excuse that southern food is so horrible and unhealthy.
Case in point: typical meals of my grandparents:
1. bakes chicken or some kind of seafood boil or stew (tomato based)
2. beans with a hambone and tomatoes for flavor (the smoked pork is not adding many calories, ham is lean)
3. mustard or collard greens with vinegar (and some smoked pok for flavor. a couple of ounces of pork for a huge pot of greens isn't a problem
4. lots produce from the garden
5. chicken perlou (this is basically a southern equivalent to arroz con pollo or chicken biryani)
6. baked or roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
7. fresh eggs from their chickens or a neighbors
8. home smoked ham/bacon/etc
9. Roasted meats
10. all kinds of combos of beans, rice and veggies (with okra and tomatoes....greens....whatever else)
11. real butter or lard (these things are transfat free and not the villains we make them out to be, you need less fat if the fat is tasty)
12. snacks were nuts or fruits or sweet potatoes at my mom's house (peanuts, pecans, plums, peaches, cucumbers...)
Those other things: fried food, biscuits, cake whatever only showed up on holidays or special occasions. The problem is, people started pretending every day was a special occasion. And replacing homemade ingredients with processed stuff.
People really need to get back to the real traditional southern foods: beans, greens, and veggies. Those are the true southern staples.
Don't forget the grits.
I don't think it's b.s.
Collard greens: My grandmother used a ton of fat. (And they were still bitter.)
Corn bread dripping with butter. Delicious, but fatty.
Barbecued ribs: Essentially, meat candy.
Grits (The look of them nauseates me, but my grand uncle liked his swimming with butter.)
Pork: "The other white mean" advertising slogan aside, it's fatty.
Macaroni and cheese: My grandmother used to make it Kraft Cheddar cheese and Velveeta and one year when my father tried to reproduce it, it was do fatty and we gross we couldn't eat it.
Sweet potato pie: Sugar and fat.0 -
I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies who have a heavily vested interest in the health of people d/t insurance policies. So it is based on averages not individual cases. On average, people above and below certain BMI values have more health issues. It's not perfect but it is an indicator for future and present health.
The BMI was invented by some Belgian guys back in the 1800's, actually. Conspiracy theories: sorry for your loss.
Which ultimately was adapted by scientists for insurers. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
I read and responded to EXACTLY what you wrote which is: "I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies". No need to get so defensive: I was helping you learn, after all.
First of all, I indicated I was hedging, do you understand how to interpret written signals like "I think"? Second, I didn't go into the entire history because I didn't think it was necessary, but what I wrote was perfectly accurate, nor did I suggest there was a conspiracy.
Consider taking Remedial Reading.0 -
I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies who have a heavily vested interest in the health of people d/t insurance policies. So it is based on averages not individual cases. On average, people above and below certain BMI values have more health issues. It's not perfect but it is an indicator for future and present health.
The BMI was invented by some Belgian guys back in the 1800's, actually. Conspiracy theories: sorry for your loss.
Which ultimately was adapted by scientists for insurers. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
I read and responded to EXACTLY what you wrote which is: "I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies". No need to get so defensive: I was helping you learn, after all.
First of all, I indicated I was hedging, do you understand how to interpret written signals like "I think"? Second, I didn't go into the entire history because I didn't think it was necessary, but what I wrote was perfectly accurate, nor did I suggest there was a conspiracy.
Consider taking Remedial Reading.
Incidentally, the top quote is NOT what I said. Following is MY quote about the BMI. I gave my "understanding," which, if you read the Wikipedia article, is quite accurate.Yes, my understanding is that BMI developed or began to be used as a tool by insurers for assessing risk. THAT'S WHAT INSURANCE COMPANIES DO. The premium for a middle-aged motorist is lower than that for an 18-year-old motorcyclist. They were able to get a rough feel of obesity (which IS related to higher health costs) in POPULATIONS by being able to take the weight and height of people and do a simple calculation. It would be very expensive and impractical to do a body fat percentage and bone density scan for every individual. It's a proxy, not a straight measurement.
But it's not complete b.s. Insurers (who I hate) have to justify premium increases by showing some kind of rational relationship. It's not irrational to assume that servicing an overweight or obese population (as a group) will be more costly.
Edited to add:
Anyone who understands the BMI tends to favor other measures. The reason it's used as a shorthand by doctors and others is that many people won't educate themselves about their true state of health as relates to their weight. I see people here who won't weigh themselves because they don't want to know, or who don't try to estimate their body fat percentage, or who don't take their measurements, who believe they burned a million calories playing 15 minutes of ping pong because some device said so.
At least the BMI is easy. But its limitations are well understood.0 -
"Black women will always look heavier when compared to other races. "
Black women come in different shapes just like white women do. My coworker is skinny as a rail.0 -
I completely agree with you. I do hts. And wts on my preschoolers and I have to track their BMIs it is ridiculous to group all people in one category based off of an unrealistic expectation of society. Bone skinny is so not cute to me. But being healthy is. Have a blessed day.0
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Good point.0
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Your right about the true southern staple. To this day my grandfather eats the healthy southern way. Little to no meat but lots of beans, rice, veggies, fruits, et..... Different combinations........he's 94 and ticking and still looks good. That's a blessing.0
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"Black women will always look heavier when compared to other races. "
Black women come in different shapes just like white women do. My coworker is skinny as a rail.
Thank you.0 -
Your right about the true southern staple. To this day my grandfather eats the healthy southern way. Little to no meat but lots of beans, rice, veggies, fruits, et..... Different combinations........he's 94 and ticking and still looks good. That's a blessing.
Don't know if this applies to your Grand Dad, but it may have been a different situation for poor black Southerners who could not afford to eat meat regularly and who had physically demanding jobs. That's not the case today. Soul Food is not known for being healthy.0 -
41% fat is obese.
Recent New York Times article. The author is an African American woman, who also discusses her own weight gain and loss.
"Black Women and Fat
FOUR out of five black women are seriously overweight. One out of four middle-aged black women has diabetes. With $174 billion a year spent on diabetes-related illness in America and obesity quickly overtaking smoking as a cause of cancer deaths, it is past time to try something new.
What we need is a body-culture revolution in black America. Why? Because too many experts who are involved in the discussion of obesity don’t understand something crucial about black women and fat: many black women are fat because we want to be. ..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/opinion/sunday/why-black-women-are-fat.html
Dang Tio Tacos, Uncle Toms....White Folks can ALWAYS find ONE and try to lay THAT on the WHOLE RACE! What about the environmental factors that cause obesity and resulting Co-Morbidities>>>STRESS, Poverty, Unemployment, RACISM, White Privilege, Sexism..
White people made her do it?
What you are talking about is a POVERTY CULTURE not BLACK CULTURE. There are many, many white and hispanic populations in this country that have the same problems... poor white folks are treated like TRASH... food deserts can be in any poor community.
There are many many MANY healthy weight, well educated, middle class black women who would TAKE ISSUE with your opinion of what "black culture" is!0
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