All Articles Tagged "quality of life"
Obesity Pay Gap Doesn’t Affect Black Men and Women
When we talk about the cost of obesity, it’s usually related to the burden weight-related issues can have on the healthcare system but obesity may be hitting overweight men and women’s wallets in another way—lower pay, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Unsurprisingly, overweight women are hit the hardest. According to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, in 2004, average annual incomes for obese women were $8,666 less than workers with a normal weight. For overweight men, the salary was $4,772 less. In 2008, the researchers found that obese women made an average of $5,826 (15%) less than normal-weight females.
What’s odd is that this pay gap only seems to effect obese individuals who are Hispanic or white. In both 2004 and 2008, black men who were obese earned more than normal-weight black men, and wages were similar for obese and normal-weight black women.
Perhaps this is part of the reason why overweight black women have a higher quality of life than white women, or it may prove that black women’s weight doesn’t mentally and emotionally hinder them from being able to perform on the job and earn the appropriate salary.
What do you think accounts for the fact that overweight black women don’t earn less? What about the fact that overweight black men earn more than normal-weight black men?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
More on Madame Noire!
Tags:
black men, black women, confidence, income, obese, overweight, pay gap, quality of life, salary, self-esteem, shame, white womenBlack Women and Weight: Not Hating Yourself and Not Caring Are Not the Same Thing
I used to work in medical publishing so I know that studies have to be done over and over and over again to prove scientific validity, but when it comes to black women and obesity, I think we’ve got the point. A lot of black women over the age of 20—some estimates say nearly 80%–have a BMI over the recommended level for their height, some black women put off exercise for the sake of their hair, and some black women think it’s OK to carry a little extra weight. We know this. Now, yet another study has shown that obesity is less of a stigma for black women and that they have a higher quality of life than obese white women when it comes to physical function, self-esteem, sexual life, public distress, and work. Is that a bad thing?
Some would argue that, no, black women don’t get it, otherwise so many of us/them wouldn’t still be fat, obese, overweight, morbidly obese, or however you want to label it. But that’s just not true. Just because you don’t hate yourself for being overweight doesn’t mean that you don’t care. Neither does the fact that you’re not immediately doing anything about it. How many goals do all of us label as priorities and still fail to tackle?
One analysis of the study, pointed out that white women tend to have a cruel outlook towards their body and when they are obese, tend to discriminate within themselves, or let themselves go in terms of the way they dress, and even possibly limit their social activity because they are ashamed of their weight. Overweight black women who are proud of how they look despite the weight are often criticized for being too flamboyant. There’s a way to have a happy medium that doesn’t involve compromising your physical health for your mental well-being, or vice versa. There are plenty of black women who aren’t necessarily happy with being a larger size, but aren’t suicidal about it.
I often think of my sister when I read studies about overweight women and self-esteem. While I tend to have a “white woman” attitude toward my weight, I suppose, my sister has always been able to maintain a healthy sense of self-worth in spite of the added poundage. She knows she needs to lose weight, she wants to lose weight, and she has in the past. But the fact that she is not an ideal weight right now doesn’t trump her self love or even the admiration she has for her frame in its current state. I, on the other hand, tend to need a little more coercing and affirmation when I get depressed about my weight. Which is healthier overall?
I know the goal of this study was to see if researchers could determine how to motivate black women to lose weight due to the increasing obesity epidemic—and I won’t argue that it is just that—but I’m curious what the conclusion would be if it was determined that obese black women have a low quality of life too? Would fat shaming be suggested as a viable tactic? If fat black women hate themselves enough, they’ll change? Guess what? Those white women who hate themselves aren’t doing anything about their weight either, and now they’ve got mental issues to tackle too.
Researchers need to be very careful throwing out generalizations about attitudes toward weight across races, and the public ought to be slower to draw conclusions about what’s seen as overweight black women’s delusional acceptance of their bodies. Positive thoughts trump negative ones, so it’s time for the medical community and society as a whole to sing a new song if they think they’re going to successfully motivate black women to lose weight because the “you should hate yourself because you’re fat” method isn’t going to work.
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
More on Madame Noire!
Somebody Lied To You: People Who Swear They Can Sing But Really Can’tKelly
Rowland’s Hair Masterpieces and Messes Over the Years Risky
Behavior: 6/10 Americans Didn’t Use Protection First Time They Had Sex
Ask a Very Smart Brotha: Short Dudes & Caribbean Cuties
In Crime Lists, Nuance Is a Victim
(Wall Street Journal) — When CQ Press’s City Crime Rankings were published last week, they prompted headlines nationwide, particularly in cities that ranked near the top or bottom. The rankings showed that Detroit had the country’s highest crime rate among the largest cities, while El Paso was the least dangerous. But critics say such comparisons are meaningless. Cities differ markedly in how tightly their borders are drawn around their inner core, and how much of outlying areas are included within city limits can have a big effect on crime levels. The rankings are based only on reported crime, and reporting rates vary, criminologists say. Also, personal safety varies tremendously depending on lifestyle, income and neighborhood.
D.C. Residents Less Stressed but Also Less Healthy
(Washington Examiner) — Residents in the D.C. area are less stressed than they were just one year ago, but those who remain stressed are suffering increasingly serious health problems and are struggling to combat the anxiety caused largely by economic concerns, a study released Tuesday shows. The American Psychological Association’s recent online poll found that many area residents are reporting lower levels of stress in 2010 than they did in 2009, and that most District residents were more likely to say they do a good job of exercising regularly and eating only a healthy diet. It’s the third year in a row that stress levels have declined.
Washington Ranks 2nd in Quality of Life Survey
(Portfolio) — Portfolio ranks cities across the nation — D.C. takes 2nd place. Read More…
