NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 26 (UPI) -- A Yale researcher finds that race and U.S. culture have a lot to do with how women view being overweight and if they link being fat with being sick.
Maryanne Davidson of Yale University reviewed papers published over a 10-year period to see how health professionals and African-American and Caucasian women define obesity.
"My review revealed that black American participants defined obesity in positive terms, relating it to attractiveness, sexual desirability, body image, strength or goodness, self esteem and social acceptability" says Davidson. "In addition they didn't view obesity as cause for concern when it came to their health."
However, the Caucasian women expressed an opposite view.
"They defined obesity in negative terms, describing it as unattractive, not socially desirable, associated with negative body image and decreased self-esteem and being socially unacceptable," said Davidson.
Health issues related to obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, asthma and some cancers.
"It's imperative healthcare providers understand how people from different cultures view obesity," said Davidson.
The findings appear in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
