Incidents of racism amongst African-American women may result in a gaining of weight.

[Deleted]

According to a study that followed 59,000 black women from 1995, experiencing incidents of racism may explain the explosive amount of obesity amongst AA women.

A recent analysis conducted by investigators from the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University has found that frequent experiences of racism were associated with a higher risk of obesity among African American women. The findings, which currently appear online in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found the relationship between racism and obesity was strongest among women who reported consistently high experiences of racism over a 12-year period.

The research was based on data from the Black Women's Health Study, a longitudinal study that enrolled 59,000 African-American women in 1995 and has followed them continually.

Rates of obesity in the United States have increased rapidly over the past few decades with the greatest increases reported for African American women. Approximately half of African American women are currently classified as obese. Obesity is a risk factor for numerous health conditions including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, and death. Racism is a form of psychosocial stress that African Americans experience disproportionately. Experiences of racism could contribute to obesity because both animal and human data indicate that chronic exposure to stress can result in dysregulation of important neuroendocrine functions which can in turn influence the accumulation of excess body fat.

The Black Women's Health Study collected information on lifestyle factors, experiences of racism, height and weight and other factors using biennial questionnaires. The participants were asked in 1997 and in 2009 to rate the frequency of "everyday" experiences of racism, such as receiving poorer service in restaurants and stores, and if they had been treated unfairly because of their race on the job, in housing or by the police ("lifetime" racism). The analyses were restricted to women under the age 40 at the beginning of follow-up because most adult weight gain occurs during the reproductive years. The investigators found that women in the highest category of reported everyday racism in both 1997 and 2009 were 69 percent more likely to become obese compared to those in the lowest category at both intervals. Women who reported more lifetime racism were also at increased risk of obesity.

"Experiences of racism may explain in part the high prevalence of obesity among African American women," explained Yvette C. Cozier, DSc, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University who led the analyses. She suggests that work-place- and community-based programs to combat racism and interventions to reduce racism-induced stress could be an important component of strategies for prevention of obesity, especially in communities at high risk.

Regardless, what's your opinion?

Some people comfort eat in relation to altercations, be it verbal or physical in nature; Or in this case, racial.

- - - Updated - - -

And source!

[Revi]

Now, i'm clearly not qualified to dismiss this, but it might very well be that since intelligence, income and obesity has a very strong correlation, women who are obese are much more likely to live in the same area as others with lower income. And less intelligent/lower income groups are more likely to make racist remarks (according to studies).

Not saying this is the case, just pointing out that his seems to have a plethora of other explanations.

This might just be another special interests organization conducting a study and finding exactly what they hoped to find.

[vindicatorx]

Same could be for stress or low self esteem. One doesn't really have to a giant leap to believe this is probable.

[Deleted]

Same could be for stress or low self esteem. One doesn't really have to a giant leap to believe this is probable.

I'm more surprised about the amount of effort invested in this, it feels like a study that was already predetermined.

[vindicatorx]

I'm more surprised about the amount of effort invested in this, it feels like a study that was already predetermined.

Gotta get that funding one way or another right?

[Deleted]

I can see it now.

"Boss, we've got to do a study about jack shit or else our funding is cut."

What about the effects of viagra on men Jimmy?

"Done boss"

Fuck.

"W-what about overweight people sir?"

GENIUS JIMMY, GENIUS, LETS CHANGE THE PARAMETERS AND MAKE IT ABOUT AA WOMEN THOUGH, THAT LEGITIMIZES US AND THE WASTE OF FUNDS!

[Tradewind]

Sounds more like incidents of racist treadmills!

[Obtuse]

I didn't realize death was a health condition

[crakerjack]

I'm a firm believer that if you're obese, it's because you made the decision. I was fit growing up until I turned 16 and got into WoW... played beta and instantly quit varsity soccer the following year to pursue 40 man raiding. I gained more than 80 lbs of pure fat considering I'm only 5'5" and weighed 120~ lbs when I was in shape. My senior year I made the decision to get fit again because it wasn't in my to be content with being fat. What was just running, turned into bodybuilding and now 6~ years from then, i'm still 5'5" 172 lbs @ 13% bmi. I got fat not because of stress or any emotional issues, I got fat because I made the poor decision to abandon fitness and engage majority of my time into WoW.

People are too quick to create excuses for why they're this or that... but if you're a perfectly normal/healthy individual, you have absolutely no excuse to use for why you're obese. "Ah i'm stressed!" Oh so now you're a special flower??? You think no one else in this world deals w/ stress? It honestly angers me when people are too lazy and create these stupid excuses. I spend no more than 30 minutes in the gym 6 days a week and that's WAY more than you need to be healthy. I could cut my workouts down to 2-3 days a week w/ light cardio on the weekends and i'd still be healthy, of course i'd lose mass, but you don't even have to spend more than 2 hours a week in the gym to be healthy. Hell you don't even need a gym membership to be healthy.

[Jewelofthesea]

Why can people blame everything on racism? I agree with crakerjack. Sometimes, people have a legitimate condition that causes them to gain weight, but anything else is blamed on nothing but you. And sometimes if you're in a low income area you're not getting quite the best food you can get, but there's really better excuses than "racism made me fat". Also, what constitutes as racism anyway? AA call me a "little white girl" all the time, is that them racist against me? Seems like they're targeting the wrong things. I believe the racism did not cause the obesity, there are far too many other, more likely factors at play here such as diet/exercise/lifestyle choices.

[Foosha]

What a crap study. These farce's were employed for 12 years studying this shit. Weight gain has many variables, and it took them 12 years to figure this out? If it were a REAL study, it would delve into HOW incidents of racism, the type of racism, etc affect weight gain so we can combat it other than "HUR END RACISM"

[Merite]

So obesity has gone up while racism has gone down..? I mean in the 60s when racism was more prominent and "accepted" in some parts of the US, was everyone obese?

If racism is decreasing and obesity is increasing, I don't see any correlation. Maybe what they're linking is the psychological effect of racism on our emotionally challenged generation to obesity, with racism just being the cause for emotional issues. Seems pretty skewed by throwing the word racism in there.

[AlphaandOmega]

Incidents of food stamps amongst African-American women may result in a gaining of weight.

fixed.

[THE Bigzoman]

AA women have lower income then other counterparts so they buy inferior and unhealthy foods?