This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Why do we perpetuate being overweight in our community?
“Stop. Bashing. Black. Women.”
“Leave people alone about their bodies. Many people have to eat 1/4 the calories of “normal” people and exercise 4 times as hard to lose 1/8 as much. And even the tiniest, tiniest relaxations of effort, and here’s ten pounds back again.”
First off, black women are f*cking beautiful, and body size will never detract from this fact.
Even I appreciate thicker bodies on women, but just because something looks good doesn’t make it healthy.
And that’s what we’re going to chat about in this article.
Can We Have A Candid Conversation?
This is NOT a fun topic, BUT most of America is overweight; this is no mystery.
Today, about 65% of adults and 15% of children and adolescents in the US are overweight or obese.
Source: National Library of Medicine
And black women are the most overweight, which needs to be discussed to change our community’s health dynamic.
Black women also have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States.
Source: HealthyWomen.org
Why Are Black Women So Overweight?
Well, the issue is more intersectional and complex than a simple answer.
There are many reasons for this that I will discuss, but there is no one-size fits all.
Plenty of other factors not mentioned in this article could be why many black women are overweight.
Socially Accepted & Glorified
Some research claims that being overweight is socially accepted and valued in the black community.
Women’s partners increasingly desire a “thicker” body when in reality, the body they desire is overweight but with the extra sugar in all the right places.
And then we have a society, in general, encouraging a fuller look that we’ve all become well too familiar with and find attractive.
Body size misperception, or the desire to maintain or gain weight when one is already obese, appears to be disproportionately more prevalent in racial/ethnic minorities and has been associated with overly-optimistic perceptions of CV (Cardiovascular) risk and unhealthy behaviors, including inadequate physical activity, in African Americans.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Interestingly, what you think may not appear to qualify as overweight often is, but because the fuller body type is deemed attractive, it becomes accepted.
But at what price for your health will you strive for the ideal body type?
Gestational Weight Gain
Other research claims that 40% of black women obtain additional weight during pregnancy and never eradicate it once it is over.
Many black women experience excessive weight gain during pregnancy, though, due to it being more acceptable, while also being encouraged to increase caloric consumption during pregnancy.
Education
Many black women are well aware of the implications of a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, but they ignore them.
“[…] health considerations are often trumped by black women’s belief that a larger body size is embraced in their culture.”
Source: National Library of Medicine
Other Factors: Economics, Psychology, Environment
Other factors that affect black women include socioeconomics, environment, and psychological stress.
All of these can heavily impact black women’s physical bodies and health.
Environment
There is a tendency for a person to become a product of their environment.
Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Source: USDA Gov
If you live in an area that is food insecure and only has fast food chains and fewer quality grocery options, you are less likely to eat healthy foods.
I remember visiting one city that only had convenience stores for grocery stores.
Economics
There is a direct link between economics and health.
The more economically sound you are, the more likely you will eat things such as raw fruits and veggies versus packaged and overly processed food as less economically sound people do.
Ironically (something that isn’t right), fruits, vegetables, and healthier foods cost more money.
Psychology
Several people I know personally are experiencing severe psychological stress, and many of them are struggling with their weight during this time.
Stress, anxiety, loss, grief, depression, and other psychological effects can increase the opportunity for weight gain amongst black women.
Alice Randall’s (NY Times) Take On Being Overweight
“My goal is to be the last fat black woman in my family. For me that has meant swirling exercise into my family culture, of my own free will and volition. I have my own personal program: walk eight miles a week, sleep eight hours a night and drink eight glasses of water a day.
I call on every black woman for whom it is appropriate to commit to getting under 200 pounds or to losing the 10 percent of our body weight that often results in a 50 percent reduction in diabetes risk. Sleeping better may be key, as recent research suggests that lack of sleep is a little-acknowledged culprit in obesity. But it is not just sleep, exercise and healthy foods we need to solve this problem – we also need wisdom.”
Why Would I Bash My Community?
I am a black woman.
There are black women in my family.
I have many black women friends.
I love all of my black women.
Am I calling out black women?
Yes, because I care about the community, but I also write plenty of other health articles that call out everyone else, too.
The less frequently we discuss the epidemic of being overweight amongst the black women community, the more likely we perpetuate the dilemma.
What Can We Do To Change This Health Dynamic?
Physical Activity
What if I didn’t work out my entire life? How might my body look different?
I might’ve been thicker or fuller, but I’ll never know because I’ve been lifting weights for 2/3 of my life; hence, I physically changed my body.
It would require significant effort and time to lose all of the muscle tone and memory I’ve been building for decades.
Diet
I’m able to maintain a lean body by how I eat.
I rarely drink alcohol.
I consistently detox (e.g., I’m on a sugar detox, which has been going strong for the past four months).
When I’m on my routine, I eat out twice a week and eat clean the other five days.
When I deviate from my routine and rampage, I only go for so long before I jump back on my regular schedule.
Medical
Every year, I get a physical and do blood work to keep track of my numbers, and they’re always fantastic.
But if you never go to the doctor, how will you know where your health stands?
There is nothing remarkable about blindly walking in the dark regarding your health. Stay on top of it, so you can know what your next steps should be.
So what does this tell us?
If we consistently work out, we can physically change our genetic disposition – to an extent.
If we consistently eat clean, we can physically change our internal and external appearance.
Some Black Women Will Have Their Whole Look Together, But Be Overweight
Break the stereotype: live a healthier lifestyle
Highly encourage you to check out the following article: Obesity and Black Women: Special Considerations Related to Genesis and Therapeutic Approaches
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.