Black women are heavier but happier with their bodies than white women, finds U.S. study

• Looking physically attractive more important to black women
• 90% of black women think health outranks religion, career and marriage

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 9:26 AM on 29th February 2012

Plump and proud: Large black women such as Queen Latifah have more self-esteem than slim white women a survey has found

Black women in America may tend to be heavier than white women but they are far happier with their bodies, a study has found.

A nationwide survey found that 66 per cent of overweight or obese black women had high self esteem compared to 41 per cent of average-sized or thin white women.
The survey by the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation interviewed more than 800 women across America to compile one of the most comprehensive studies in decades.

However black women remain more likely to slip into obesity and suffer higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other weight-related  health problems.

The survey discovered that 90 per cent of black women thought living a healthful lifestyle is very important, outranking religion, career and marriage.
However despite this, two-thirds reported eating fast-food at least once a week, with barely half cooking dinner at home on a regular basis.

 

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But looking good remains a priority with 28 per cent saying that being physically attractive is 'very important,' compared to 11 per cent of white women.

Slimming down: Thinner celebrity role models such as Halle Berry (left) and Tyra Banks could lead to a change in attitude among black women

White women were also found to be more likely than black women to say being attractive was 'somewhat important'.

In general the black women surveyed did not tend to aim for model proportions when they lose weight and look to celebrity role models such as Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson who have slimmed but retained their curvy physiques.

Campaigner: First Lady Michelle Obama has spearheaded a program to tackle childhood obesity

Michelle Gibson, 41, who works as a fitness instructor at the L.A. Fitness club in Capitol Heights and weighs between 150 and 200 pounds said it had taken her time to come to terms with her fuller figure.

She told the Post:'High school is where I started to realize I was different.

'My quads were big, I had these boobs, and I had a butt. Not only that, I was dark with short hair.

'That’s when I had to look in the mirror and say, "Either I’m going to go with it, or I’m going to go against it." I always went with it.'
Experts believe cultural differences meant many black women grew up feeling less pressure to appear thin.

Having 'meat on your bones' and 'something to grab on to' was considered healthy and larger black women celebrated and flaunted their bodies.

Songs such as the Commodores 'Brick House', which includes the lyric '36-24-36, what a winning hand', celebrated larger women.

However some feel this attitude may be changing with a new generation looking at increasingly slimmer celebrity role models such as ike Tyra Banks, Halle Berry and Beyonce.

Since her appointment as First Lady in 2008, Michelle Obama, has been campaigning to tackle childhood obesity.

She created a vegetable garden at the White House and has urged beverage makers to design fizzy drink cans with a calorie count, an idea ended up in President Obama’s landmark health care law.

Mrs Obama admits she loves unhealthy foods like burgers, ice cream and cake, but is determined to tackle the problem within a generation

She has also targetted the nation's restaurants and schools urging them to offer more healthy meals.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107700/Black-women-heavier-happier-bodies-white-women.html#ixzz1noFcPwGh