title: Body size values of white and black women.
abstract: The purpose of this naturalistic study was to compare values held by 36 white and 31 black women related to body size, and to identify factors that influence these values and linkages between body size values and weight management activities. Black women of lower SES were significantly different from black women of higher SES and white women, regardless of SES, in that they were heavier, viewed themselves as heavier, and perceived attractive body size as heavier. Black lower status women had to become a great deal heavier than the other groups before they defined themselves as overweight. We suggest that black lower social status women have a wider range of "normal" and attractive body size and that this wider range is developed from comparisons of other women in their social milieu and influences the initiation of weight loss activities.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin 78701-1499.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000208:ethnology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D012649:Self Concept; D012945:Social Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data