African-American women

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It’s Ok to Be a Big, Beautiful, Black Woman in America

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Although historically, eating disorders like Bulimia and Anorexia have been found to be more prominent among women of European descent, our American culture continues to evolve.  While the added diversity this brings can be a good thing, it also means we share some of the negative aspects of our heritages as well.

The Journal of Counseling Psychology published a study meant to find out if African-American women now suffered from eating disorders as much as Caucasian women.  They also wanted to find out if the sources behind those disorders were similar.  The study did show that eating disorders among African-American women are on the rise, and this is mostly due to the internalization of societal beauty ideals.  In other words, as more and more wafer-thin models and actresses of African-American descent are spotlighted in the media, more of the public ideal as to what makes a beautiful African-American woman is biased in that direction.  In fact, concern over body image due to societal beauty ideals had a 79% correlation with eating disorders in African-American women.

It’s sad to me, that even though more cultures and ethnicities are being accepted in the American way of life, new types of beauty are not part of that incorporation.  Instead, the media seems to reduce them all down to one, predictable body type.  Yes, they are showing a more diverse range of races on TVs these days, but only those that fit into the Hollywood body stereotype.  It’s up to the public to call for movies, shows, and music that proudly display real people.  Only then will producers realize that it’s ok to be a big, beautiful, black woman in America.  In fact, there are many types of people out there who can help Hollywood create more dynamic and engaging media simply by being themselves, and this, in turn, will help form a healthier society.


– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.