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Study: Americans, Especially Black Women, Are More Obese Than Ever

Study: Americans, Especially Black Women, Are More Obese Than Ever
By Stacy Gilliam, BET.com Staff Writer

Posted Oct. 9, 2002 -- The new statistics on obesity in America reveal nothing to cheer about. Americans are getting fatter and fatter, despite the health implications. But the most sobering news is for Black women.

Fifty percent -- that's right, half -- of Black women are considered overweight.

The data comes from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which has conducted this study for years. Twenty-three percent of adults were obese in 1994 and 15 percent in 1980. The latest survey is thought to be the most definitive assessment of Americans' weight because of the length and size of the study and because people's height and weight are actually measured.

Overall, 64.5 percent of American adults, more than 120 million, are overweight or obese. Thirty-three percent of adult women are obese compared with 28 percent of men. About 15 percent of children, ages 6 to 19, or about 9 million children, are overweight. Just 5 percent of people are extremely obese, of which 15 percent are Black women.

What's going on with sisters?

Dr. Rovenia Brock, nutritionist and BET.com health expert, believes much of it has to do with Black culture.

"To a man, Black women don't have it going on unless she has junk in her trunk. It's become an acceptable norm to be overweight," Brock says. "But it has long-term health implications for her and her children."

Obesity increases the risk for a number of serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and even some types of cancer. Defined, obesity is having a body mass index of 30 or above. (Calculate your BMI to the left.) The index is a formula in which a person's body weight is divided by height squared. A BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight.

Brock also blames obesity among Black women on economics and convenience. To the mom on a budget with children to feed, the 2 for $2 deal at the local fast-food joints is too tempting for price and convenience.

Lastly, she says preliminary data suggests that Black women simply burn fewer calories than their White counterparts. It's in our physical makeup. But none of these reasons are excuses not to eat right and exercise, Brock says.

"Know that you have to work harder. If it means the difference between your life and your death and the quality of that life, you ought to be more willing to do it."


I know that a lot of us on here often TALK about losing weight or working out (myself included), but ladies, we need to BE ABOUT IT!!