Ever wonder why some black women are heavier than their white counterparts? Well, new research suggests that its because they experience racism more often.
The study published in the highly respected American Journal of Epidemiology last month shows that black women who frequently experience racism find comfort in food.
The study, conducted by the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University in the US between 1997 and 2009, surveyed 59 000 African-American women.
During the survey, participants were asked about the frequency of everyday experiences of racism, such as receiving worse service in restaurants and shops, and whether they had been treated unfairly because of their race on the job, in finding housing, or by the police.
Investigators found that women who reported consistently more experiences of racism over the 12-year period ate too much fattening food and were 69% more likely to become obese.
The Black Women’s Health Study collected information on lifestyle factors, experiences of racism, height and weight and other factors using questionnaires they distributed to their subjects twice a year.
Researchers found that experiences of racism contributed to obesity. This is because both animal and human studies show that chronic exposure to stress can result in disrupted hormonal functions.
This in turn can in turn influence the accumulation of excess body fat…
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