title: Body size perception among African American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess body size perception among African American women using cultural definitions of body size terms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine African American women classified Body Image Scale figures as overweight, obese, and too fat, and independently selected the figure they considered closest to their current body size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body size classifications of figures did not vary by participant weight status. Overweight figures were not considered too fat. For 86% of overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25-29.9) women and 40% of obese (BMI > 30) women, the self figure was not defined as overweight, obese, or too fat. Among participants with BMI ≥ 35, 65% did not classify their self figure as obese and 29% did not classify their self figure as overweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The difference between cultural (folk) and medical definitions of body size terms may serve as a barrier to effective communication between patients and providers about health effects of excess adiposity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: elizabeth_lynch@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002641:Chicago; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D012858:Size Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: African American women; body image; body mass index; overweight; weight perception