Framing body size among African American women and girls

Abstract

Obesity continues to affect African Americans in epidemic proportions, particularly among women and adolescent females. Perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, and body sizes of adolescents are associated with those of their mothers, yet little is known about the transgenerational meanings and experiences of obese African American adolescent girls and their mothers. An interpretive phenomenological study was conducted with seven African American adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17, and their adult female caregivers. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed and analyzed by a multicultural interpretive team. Two constitutive patterns and associated themes were identified. One pattern, 'Framing: sizing it up; sizing it down', with its three associated themes is presented. Mothers and daughters are engaged in multiple common practices in which they self-define body size, while protecting their self-esteem and self-image. This pattern illustrates how the women and girls created an image of their bodies as they confronted and acknowledged their self-perceptions, compared themselves to others in their environment, and evaluated themselves against specific parameters of acceptable size.

The Weight of Things: Understanding African American Women’s Perceptions of Health, Body Image, and Attractiveness

“…Consistent with previous literature, low SES was cited as a prominent barrier to health (Adler & Stewart, 2009; Williams, Wyatt, & Winters, 2013). Specifically, SES limited the type of food that one is able to buy, the number of visits one can take to seek medical care, and living in food deserts.…”

Overweight and Obesity: Prevalence, Consequences, and Causes of a Growing Public Health Problem

“…They also expressed that they felt discriminated against by others, including healthcare professionals [78]. In an interpretive study with black mothers and adolescent girls [79], mothers were less concerned about body size/weight and more concerned about their daughters being healthy and resilient in a potentially adverse environment. Framing themselves and their daughters against others in their environment where most women and girls were Bbig-boned^and large, the mothers felt good about themselves and their daughters but valued strength, self-esteem, and self-love at any size.…”

Factors related to obesity and overweight among Black adolescent girls in the United States

“…Among body image, weight perception, and weight intention factors, Black girls with obesity and overweight accurately perceived themselves as overweight (Foti and Lowry 2010; Paxton, Valois, and Drane 2004; Wang, Liang, and Chen 2009), intended or desired to lose weight (Banitt et al 2008; Black et al 2006; Paxton, Valois, and Drane 2004; Porter et al 2012; Strauss 1999), and were more frequently weight dissatisfied (Gordon-Larsen 2001; Neumark-Sztainer et al 1997). However, overweight was significantly associated with a larger ideal body image (Chen and Wang 2012), and Black girls with overweight described body self-satisfaction as more important than actual size (Boyington et al 2008) and used framing practices so that weight perceptions were congruent with self-valuations (Williams, Wyatt, and Winters 2012). No relationship was identified with self-esteem or depression/suicidal ideation factors.…”