Overweight

[Special1920]

I read an article that 70% of women of color are overweight or obese. What do you all think? Why is this a problem for African American women? Should we be content with the girth?

[DOVE1920]

Well I definetly think we should love ourselves no matter what but on the other hand we have to be concerned if its potentially fatal. One thing I noticed *I'm a sociology major* is that in Black neighborhoods there are mainly fast food resturants and virtually no sit down resturants or health food stores. I think this contributes to the unhealthy eating habits of Black women. Not to mention the fact that we were are stressed on a daily basis which may make exercise and watching what we eat a little difficult. I know I've been trying to get to the gym for the longest but haven't made it yet.

[SoTrue1920]

I think that rather than being consumed by numbers on a scale and the same sort of body-obsessed mania that grips women of other cultures, our focus needs to be on fitness not fatness. It is entirely possible to be a big person -- male or female -- and be physically fit. There was an article published in the New York Times earlier this week that reported that scientists now believe that no matter how much we exercise, that certain people are just predisposed toward heaviness. It's how we take care of our bodies that counts.

Moderate exercise (without being a gym rat) a healthy diet (without obsessing over counting every little fat gram, or punishing yourself if you decide to have a cupcake for dessert) is the mark of a long, healthy life. Some doctors even tell larger people that if they could only lose 10% of their body weight, they'd see a tremendous difference in their quality of life. So again, it really isn't all about the numbers on a scale - it's about an overall level of fitness.