Eating Disorders And African American Women - 1944 Words

Abstract This paper is in reference to eating disorders in African American women, and how they differ to those of other minority groups. Through research, it was found that eating disorders are not as known in African American women, or women of minority due to cultural differences. Different studies were analyzed of African American women at different colleges, to verify that eating disorders were prevalent in the sample groups. It was concluded in several studies that obesity rates, racial identity, and body image were the determining factors of the eating disorders. Introduction: Eating disorders is an issue that women have been facing throughout history, yet there are different factors that have been associated with African American women opposed to other racial groups. Research has been done to prove that environmental factors, cultural factors, different types of identity, and others are the cause of these disorders. It is possible African American Women might have different factors than women of other minorities, due to racial segregation and treatment throughout time. The objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts, 1997) suggests that today’s culture plays a significant role in viewing the female body as an object, which can lead to self-consciousness, mental health disorders, and eating disorders. Yet in specifically African American women, this can also cause shame of their racial identity in addition to body image.Show MoreRelatedAn Increase Of Eating Disorders Among African American Women Essay2244 Words   |  9 Pages In 1980, the first African American Barbie was introduced to the world , 21 years after the original Barbie was created. The African American doll had a small waist and skinny legs, which is similar to the original Caucasian Barbie. 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