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African American and Ideal Body Weights

  1. Phoenixrise
    Phoenixrise
    I went online and found some interesting articles on AA women, just wanted to sum a lot of it up. I provided links if you all wanted to follow up on some of the reading. According to the CDC, the average American female weight (of the same age) has increased from 140.2 pounds to 164.3 pounds. I am thinking I can aim for a 164 lb goal vs a 145 lb goal. The average AA women weighs between 162-179 from ages 20 -39, and between 179 to 189 from ages 40- 59, and 166 to 176 for 60 an over based on CDC stats.

    Ethnicity and Race
    Between 1960 and 2002, according to the CDC, non-Hispanic black women's average weight increased by about 13 pounds. Among black women, the increase was greatest, at 16 pounds, for those between 20 and 39 years old. For Mexican-American women, the weight increase over that time period was between 4 and 5 pounds. According to the CDC, as of the time period 1999 to 2002, non-Hispanic white women weighed between 158 and 161.7 pounds, black women weighed between 176.6 and 182.4 pounds and Mexican-American women weighed between 150.7 and 157.1 pounds. Read more: Weight & Height For The Average American Woman | LIVESTRONG.COM For health related issues AA's the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol does increase for us with a waist circumference of 39 inches or more, and a BMI of 33 (despite the biases of this system). Read more at Beyond BMI: Why Black Women Need New Measures of Health | Madame Noire | Black Women's Lifestyle Guide | Black Hair | Black Love


    Psychological Influences
    It was noted that African American women have the most difficult time in losing weight and maintaing the weight loss. Weight loss interventionists, stated part of the reason was due to "African American women's acceptance of heavier weight when treating their obesity." (Ideal weight goals of African American women part... [Body Image. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI) African-Americans generally judge heavier women more positively than whites do," according to Understanding Psychology. African Americans also feel less guilt about over-eating, and are less likely to practice unhealthy dieting behaviors, such as over-exercising or purging. In addition of another study done on AA women and non AA women, African-American women are thought to place less importance on body size in the scheme of their overall body image, and there are more likely to be satisfied if they are at a higher body weight, and still regard themselves as attractive. African-American women showed less dissatisfaction than Caucasians and Hispanic-Americans. In the non-weight related body image tests African-American women had more positive cognitions than all other groups, and overall, African-Americans had a higher rating of self-attractiveness. Due to the this thinking as a whole in the community it is suggested that is why AA's have lower eating disorders like Bulimia, Anorexia, etc. than non AA.

    Overall 162-182 range is somewhere most AA's will end up at based on stats of the race in whole. i KNOW that is where I am currently aiming for myself. There is NO data stating what an AA should aim for so I am going off what little i found on where the majority of AA's are, though it does not say their height. I think this is a good range for a 5 foot 5 or taller female, I do not see myself wanting to be smaller than 162 lb myself at 5 foot 6 inches. Possibly cultural influences are apart of wanting the extra meat on me but we all have a meaning of what beauty is and for me everyone should have some meat on them.
  2. makeupbar
    makeupbar
    What the data doesn't show is that AA weights may be higher but we are also more muscle than other races. I am 5'4" and back in the day at 150lbs I was a size 7/8. I don't think most Caucasian women can carry 150 lbs and wear 7/8. I would be thrilled at 150 all though I want to push it to 137-141
  3. mynewlife
    mynewlife
    im 39 yrs old and weigh 176. my doctor wants me at 150. originally he said between 135-140 but im not walking arount looking like Star Jones with a big head and small body. my man and friends are already saying I look very small but I don't see it. I started at 239 in Sept 2012.
  4. DETERMINED1
    DETERMINED1
    The CDC and other people doing these studies and research seem to forget that the metabolic makeup of Black women and white women is totally different. The genetics simply don't match. Their genetics clearly don't match ours when it comes to aging nor does it match ours when it comes to weight, weight loss/gain and size. The races are totally on the opposite spectrum from each other. It is true that Black women have more muscle mass and bone density than our white counterparts. I am currently at 150 pounds and I wear a size 6. The white women that I know that weigh 150 pounds are wearing a size 10 and they are shocked when I reveal that I'm wearing a size 6. While I do read these studies I always absorb what I feel is beneficial then discard the other information. Black women are different overall. We are faced with an entirely different life scenario, environment and economic status. White women do not have to deal with the same issues/stresses (cultural influences) as us and therefore, when these studies are done, they should not compare us side by side because the results are jaded.
  5. DANA H
    DANA H
    I don't want to be that small because i love my curves and would like to hold on to some of them. If i get to 160-165 i will be fine with that.
  6. Valerie B
    Valerie B
    Yes that was one of my fears ... That I would lose my curves now that I don't want. I'm fine with 160-165 myself . My Dr. also wanted me at 145 being 5/6 But I don't wanna look sickly!
  7. Phoenixrise
    Phoenixrise
    I posted more on a seperate post "whats the evidence"
  8. hope4me
    hope4me
    Thanks Phoenixrise for posting this stat.
  9. LadyAngela
    LadyAngela
    Thank you for your research, and its very true are genetics and body structure is totally different and unique from other ethnicity for one 80% of Black woman have butterfly hips and butt right and many sister have naturally full breast, so my goal is 150 for now but I wanna be healthy and remain curvey and appreciate your research best wishes on your weight loss journey.

    LadyAngela♥
  10. Phoenixrise
    Phoenixrise
    Thank you I just wanted us to have an idea what to weight and i am thinking we should start a discussion for how much we weight so we can compmare our height and weights.
  11. NellieFL
    NellieFL
    Very interesting article. I think there's merit to the discussion!
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