Health: New Report Says We’re STILL Fat. But Guess Who’s the Fattest By a Mile?

Health: New Report Says We’re STILL Fat. But Guess Who’s the Fattest By a Mile?

Bottom line: If you don’t want to get healthy, then don’t complain that you have to stick yourself with needles everyday to live. If you don’t want to compete, then don’t complain about being lonely.

    Author : Christelyn Karazin

    Author's Website | Articles from

    I awoke this morning to CNN lady announcing a teaser about new obesity news. The anchor said something like, “Stay tuned for new stats on obesity!” basically commanding me to watch commercials for Nordic Trak and Jenny Craig. Geez, haven’t these people heard of Google? Sorry news folks. That teaser doesn’t work when I can simply open the Mac that has recently been surgically attached to my lap and find out what the heck you’re hinting to.

    Oh yes; fat news.

    Well, turns out new CDC data says obesity rates in the U.S. are unchanged, since last they checked, and hovering around 35%. If there was a change, it’s that men are also getting chubby too.

    But guess which racial group is the fattest? Just guess.

    Cynthia Ogden from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and her colleagues found that between 35 and 36 percent of both men and women were obese. While obesity rates in men were similar across races, that wasn’t the case in women: 32 percent of white women were obese, compared to almost 59 percent of black women.

    What the cuss. Look at the difference between the obesity rates of black women and white women. And please. Before you give me that patooey about black women being bigger body types, save it. They measured BMI: Body Mass Index, or Biggin’ McDonald’s Ingestion.

    EEEEE–gaaaad!! at that photo.  Yes, I know she’s white. But I just thought I’d best any posters who feel they need to enlighten me that non-black women are fat too. I am, indeed aware of that.

    Ladies, no more excuses. This is unacceptable. Nobody is asking you to start trolling anorexia sites or anything, but unhealthy weight is inconsistent with our philosophy, is it not? We encourage women to live their best lives, and tell me, how can you do that if you’re too rotund to fit into the window of opportunity?

    And, let’s face it. To some degree ALL women COMPETE with other women for the best crop of men. It’s like, a rule or something. I know some people don’t like it when I say this, but if your BMI is half your IQ, you are seriously hampering your romantic opportunities. And if you just think it’s rainbeaus who like them fit, you’d be wrong. MOST men, regardless of race want a fit woman–even those men who happen to be part of the 35% obese. And you know what? Fat’s not sexy on them either, but women are a lot more forgiving about a few extra pounds than men are. Doesn’t make it right–just makes it what it is.

    Does anyone think they should get to be partner at a law firm with a paralegal degree? If you were selling a home that 10 people wanted, would you grant the sale to the lowest bidder? Dating and mate selection works in much the same way. It’s a competition, folks, like it or not.

    Guys, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a nag about this. I’m not going to give you the PC version of why I want you fit, because you already know it. I’m going to break it down plain:

    BWE women are competing on a global platform, PERIOD. I really, really, REALLY want to stop seeing so much resistance and excuse making about this. We don’t live in Opposite Land. We have to deal within the confines of reality.

    That’s why I dedicate many stories on this blog to health and exercise. There is simply no way you can reasonably debate this topic. Well, I guess you can, and maybe all that screaming, rapid-fire typing and hair pulling might burn a few calories, so go right ahead and try.

    Bottom line: If you don’t want to get healthy, then don’t complain that you have to stick yourself with needles everyday to live. If you don’t want to compete, then don’t complain about being lonely.

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      socialitedreams 29 pts

      bwahahahahahahahaha : "We encourage women to live their best lives, and tell me, how can you do that if you’re too rotund to fit into the window of opportunity?"

      ForestElfQueen 1921 pts

      It's harder here in the US too:

      *because of the overall health and weight issues of Americans, you can be overweight and most people will say things like 'Oh, you look fine!' or even warn against 'getting too skinny!' etc. I don't think I've been too skinny since college. LOL!

      *vanity sizing in clothes is disorienting.

      http://blogs.webmd.com/tv-checkup/2011/05/vanity-s...

      In France, it was easier for me because they're still more how it was here in the 1980s(clothes sizes, perception of what is a healthy, attractive weight etc). There's more of a slender mindset in general...moms usually shed the 'baby weight' in a timely fashion etc. For instance, my mom says I 'look fine' but my mother-in-law is my diet/fitness pal. She's really encouraging and watches her diet and health more than my mom does. My dad was great support too but he died a few years ago. He'd jog, was always into health foods, set up a home gym etc....so obviously it's no guarantee of living forever but making of the best of the time you have here.

      BTW, I don't totally buy the African-Americans are naturally larger/heavier, unless it's something that the multiracial ones inherit from theirr non-African lineage. In Paris, the women from Cameroon, Senegal etc..&some Caribes have the best shapes. They're amazing. Yes, you'll see some much older women that are larger but rarely young overweight ones like you do here in the US.

      Also if oyu lok at old photos, it was unusual to see overweight and obese AA people(really people in general) ...so umm yah, I'm not too sure about the extra weight allowance take for AAs. Of course, I'm not a dr./scientist/dietician/fitness expert so take it with a salt lick. lolz. 'Just my personal observations.

      Karla 1679 pts

      ForestElfQueen I agree. I don't buy the "AAs are larger/heavier" argument either based on my observations here in the metro-DC area. When I was in the Navy, we used to have to do body fat measurements twice a year. BW would constantly complain that the requirements weren't made for a BW's body or the "sister booty", etc. Then they'd look at me and say I must have had something other than Black in my ancestry because I didn't have the supposed "shape" of the common BW. No woman has that shape in my immediate family; my mom weighs 100 lbs soaking wet and I'm still relatively fit. My mom is a fiend when it comes to fitness and health so she keeps me honest and working out; I just don't want to hear her mouth. I love her to pieces but she can be ruthlessly candid.

      Mocha Z 1402 pts

      ForestElfQueen Funny but the first time I realized that AA excuse of being overweight was genetics was not accurate, it was in Paris. I saw zero young women overweight. In fact, the young women here in the US that are actually considered by most standards normal would seem a bit too heavy compared to those young women. It wasn't in an abnormal way either.

      I did also notice that none of them were really busty or had the rear ends that even some of the smaller women in the US still have. I had never really seen so many black women look so petite or small in build like I saw in Paris.

      I need to shed at least 15 and I keep getting discouraged by almost everyone I know because by their eyes, I am "tiny". Lol, that couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, it makes it harder.

      edenifill 69 pts

      Mocha ZForestElfQueen I remember going to the West Indies and saw a lot of thin, black women. It is normal for them because of their diet (a lot of fish and fruits and vegetables and yes, carbs) and the fact that they walked everywhere. I saw black women in France and England who were also thin, so I agree with you totally. I also noticed that in France that eating at McDonald's was more expensive than in North America and this price differential influences people's decisions. The subsidization of cash crops like corn has altered the way food is produced and its price on this side of the Atlantic and it has been to our detriment.

      formavitae 326 pts

      Well, I am a woman who is clinically "overweight" (not "obese"). All of my health indicators are EXCELLENT, and I am at a very low risk for cardiovascular (and other) disease (which is very important to me). I also have a decent fitness level. Fortunately, I have a lovely figure and am well-structured. (I look around 20 lbs less than I weigh.) However, I am tired of always being heavier than my "healthy weight" range. I've lost and regained weight for years. I decided to put an end to it. Last year, I lost the first half of the weight I needed to lose. This year, I'm losing the rest. I'm not doing this because I want to look like a supermodel. I'm doing this because I want to be my personal best. Besides, shedding these remaining extra pounds will unveil the true extent of my physical beauty. I'm only 11 pounds away from a healthy BMI. So, I'm working hard to stay focused on reaching that mark. Every pound lost beyond that point is for personal preference. I'm looking forward to being a "healthy" woman on EVERY measure, and I encourage all BW to do the same.

      formavitae 326 pts

      Christelyn Thanks, Christelyn!

      ForestElfQueen 1921 pts

      formavitae I'm in a similar situation & your note is really encouraging for me to read. "Personal best" is it! I simply loved the way I looked & felt at a certain weight/dress size/activity level/dietary regi. It's not fear-motivated or from being browbeaten externally. I just know that I can do/be better.

      formavitae 326 pts

      ForestElfQueen I am happy to offer support. :)

      edenifill 69 pts

      formavitae Girl, I hear u. I feel the same way. It's about your best.

      Nona 22 pts

      I agree with pretty much everything you're saying about black women needing to lose weight, but I think it's important not to conflate weight loss with desirability. While there might not be tons of non-black men that will date plus size (fat), black women, there are some out there. I for one am with a Dutchman and I'm a size 16. Furthermore, on Evia's site she's highlighted a few plus size women that have married interracially. There are 6 billion people on the planet, all it takes is one.

      empressc 27 pts

      Well, I am big and beautiful. I live in my skin just fine. I get tired of having "being thin is healthy and being big is not". Fact: Not all fat people are unhealthy; not all skinny people are healthy. Family history and lack of exercise are factors as to whether or not someone may or may not have health problems in life. I will not allow anyone make me feel bad about how I look EVER again. I exercise, and I am still a big woman. Not everyone will fit this "thin" model. If a man, any man, cannot love me as I am, he is not worthy of me or my love. If that means being alone, so be it. However, there are men out there who like women. Period.

      *Getting off my fat soapbox*

      edenifill 69 pts

      empressc Kudos to you for being happy with yourself. Lord knows that there are many, many who can't say the same. I don't think, though, that anyone here is a proponent of the modelesque look. Frankly, that's unhealthy; however, family history only informs you of which health risks you are predisposed to (assuming that you didn't inherit the ailment itself). Nutrition is just as much of a determinant, even more than exercise. Eating well does so much for the functioning of your body, skin, hair, nails, mind. It is possible that those who exercise regularly and are still big may not be eating as well as they could. Most of the work one would have to do to lose weight has to do with what they put in their mouth. Weight loss is about balance: calories in vs calories out. No one said it was easy.

      empressc 27 pts

      Er, I've been living in this body for 44 glorious years. I've battled my weight almost all of these 44 years, so I know weight loss and keeping it off is difficult and that I have to consume less calories to lose weight. I KNOW that. *slapping my forehead* My point is that regardless of my size, I can still be fit. Being skinny does not state that I am fit. Nor do I care for anyone trying to make me feel bad because I don't fit some BMI chart. I beat myself up for many years because I could not ever make it, even after starving myself and yo-yo dieting, which messed up my metabolism. I have been there, done that. I know that balance is the key. That's for what I strive. If you want to encourage someone to get fit, say that. Otherwise, to encourage someone to get fit and say it like they are fat is like a backhanded compliment like: Oh girl, that lipstick looks good on you, much better than the one you had on yesterday...

      edenifill 69 pts

      empressc I'm not trying to make you feel bad at all. I'm just doubtful of the premise that one can be fit regardless of what size they are. I just don't think that's true. If you are happy with you then that's what matters, as I have said before. I don't know you and I don't know what size you are, but I do understand the battle. I understand that being skinny does not make you fit, I never said that was the case. I didn't encourage you or discourage you. I am just respectfully debating the doctrine under which you are making your argument. I can do that without attacking you personally, which I never did.

      empressc 27 pts

      edenifill I didn't attack you personally either. I was expressing my thoughts and feelings about the matter. Had I done so, I would've said, "your opinion ain't worth caca. But alas, I didn't say that. I did, however, vehemently disagree. You are absolutely right; you do not know me. I Zumba for an hour 3 times a week AND lift weights. I am a big girl. So in this matter, let's agree to disagree.

      In my Forrest Gump voice: I've said all I'm gonna say 'bout thaaaat.

      Jules1 124 pts

      Portion control to me is a biggie when it comes to weight. In all honesty most ppl are eating way more than their body require for fuel and survival. Eating for fun is fine occasionally; that's why we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays, so you can pig out guilt free. Add to that the once, or twice a year vacation and that is enough for eating for fun. Outside of those periods, all eating should be just for health and nourishing the body for optimum performance.

      SirLoinDeBeef 378 pts

      In recent posts, there has been some talk of the French & others walking, walking, walking everywhere: to shop, to eat, to get anywhere. Well & good. However, the Urban & suburban USA has, for the last 60 years, made it all but impossible to get literally anywhere without mechanized personal transport. As a personal example, I grew up in Suburban San Diego, CA. it was a 12-14 block walk, up and down some significant hills (20% grade) to get to a restaurant, hardware store or pharmacy.

      If, in Paris, Montevideo, New York City, Buneos Aires or Vienna, you can find all this within distance of a walk, excellent. But it literally doesn't exist in much of the USA ... not to mention the public transportation that can't be reached, either. "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley" hasn't been seen in L.A. for 50 years, either.

      Literally everything has been oriented around cheap gas and automobiles (motor scooters don't count).

      Ya walk for exercise. To get anywhere, or do anything, requires wheeled transportation.

      Law Wanxi 1911 pts

      SirLoinDeBeef

      La Jolla? That sure sounds like my first American Hometown! Especially the hills part. Rarely ever went into SD itself, except to go to the zoo.

      keeks Y 120 pts

      me and my husband work out together we usually go to the gym 3-4 times a week. since i have been here i have gained several pounds when i was living in jamaica i was walking everywhere so it was quit easy for me to do keep the weight off, but because where i live isnt walk friendly, however the good is losing it isnt hard either in a week i can go from 145- 138lbs i am 5 6'. right now i am not trying to lose too much weight because i dont want to be super skinny but i truly work out to keep fit and also i want to run in marathons not for competition but just for the fun of it.

      Rainey 34 pts

      Where is the "like", no the "LOVE" button? It has a "speak the truth, boldly but with love" article that gets to the bottom-line. Thanks Christelyn ! Another thing I would love to see is for our fellow black women to stop fooling themselves with the false "I'm big and sexy" personas that they present to the world.

      Tammy_Ghalden 17 pts

      Sorry, but BMI does not account for muscularity or bone mass. A muscular athlete can have a BMI that indicates obesity when the person, in reality, has a healthy body. It has been proven that BMI is inaccurate for certain ethnic groups because the calculations are based on studies using Caucasian people. The BMI overestimates obesity in African Americans and underestimates obesity in Asians and Hispanics. I do think there is an obesity problem in the black community along with America as a whole, but please don't base your reactions on a measurement that has been proven to be inaccurate.

      http://www.bcm.edu/news/item.cfm?newsID=1383

      http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/17/health/la-...

      http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/09061...

      SirLoinDeBeef 378 pts

      Tammy_Ghalden Being excessively tall (back 50 years ago, 6' 8" was freakishly tall), I don't fit the BMI index - the last time I had it estimated, I was advised to loose 60 lbs., to get down to an 'ideal' 190 lbs. - the last time I was that weight, I was 15 and in Middle School - there are alternative BMIs that adjust for weight, but are not used much - it still amuses me to get the stroke/heart-attack/morbidly-obese lecture from a fanatic nurse, who then threatens to put me 'on the (insulin) 20-gauge needle,' as a punishment for not heeding her orders.

      chunkygirl2000 9 pts

      After reading the article and all the comments, all I can say is.....Wow!!

      EliseYMason 135 pts

      THANK-YOU!!

      Diabetes runs in my family, so when I looked up on Jan 1st and realized I was 20 pounds over my ideal I was horrified!!(on the upside I have a great BF who pronounced it "cushioning" and said he loved it LMBO)The biggest deal for me has been portion control, why are plates so big when what we're actually SUPPOSED to eat is so small?? *sniffle*

      I've lost 3 pounds so far!

      Christelyn 2190 pts moderator

      EliseYMason Woo HOO! Congrats, Elise!

      formavitae 326 pts

      EliseYMason Congrats! If people were only 20 pounds over their ideal weight, it wouldn't be such an issue. Many people are 50+ pounds over, and that's a serious problem.

      edenifill 69 pts

      Hear, hear!

      I recommitted myself to eating well and exercising and I feel great. I know I'm doing right by me. Even putting the dating thing aside for a little bit, I will name other things that happen as you get fit:

      1. Your mood changes. Eating well and exercising seems to improve mood and therefore perception. It will be much easier to smile and be friendly because you will feel better psychologically and emotionally.

      2. You'll be prouder of yourself. When you are able to do things, physically, that you never thought you could do or just couldn't do previously, you will feel like you're a great catch!

      3. People will treat you differently. Trust me, when I lost 20lbs, I had more men smiling at me, opening the door for me and helping me out. Women treat you differently too.

      4. You'll want to go shopping because your body looks better in clothing. Your body changes in ways you never thought it could.

      It's better than therapy.

      Sophia 226 pts

      edenifill True. You do get treated differently. You get smiled at a lot more. You get the benefit of the doubt in all sorts of situations. Your dating market value goes up in spades thus attracting really high qaulity beaus.

      It is astounding the number of free things one gets, without ever asking.

      If you lose weight the right way, your features are no longer distorted by fat and your beauty is amplified. Amplified beauty, for women (for black women especially) is an advantage we cannot afford to ignore, especially in a patriarchal world. And yes, shopping is now a joy. Everything fits beautifully.

      These are a few of the more social benefits to getting fit. The physical and mental benefits are too numerous to mention.

      formavitae 326 pts

      Sophiaedenifill God! Just the motivation I need to tough it through Buns of Steel! lol

      Sophia 226 pts

      I am a big believer in personal responsibility but I also think there are systemic issues at large that caused the obesity rates to skyrocket in the US in the last 30 years. We did not all collectively lose our will and self-control at the same time.

      Our food policies have seriously been politicized leading to bad nutritional information. I highly, highly recommend Gary Taubes' "Good Calories, Bad Calories" to find out how we got to this state.

      I also recommend reading Weston A. Price's "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration". He was a dentist who travelled the world examining isolated societies trying to figure out how they remained healthy. Bad teeth are the canary in the coal mine re signalling bad health and he noticed how traditional societies that didn't have flour and sugar (the basis for the Western diet) had excellent teeth and consequently, excellent health.

      The few healthy societies that did use grains in their diet, prepared/soaked/fermented the grains to extract all the poison/anti-nutrients from them. He also noticed that tribal groups that were hunter-gatherer (meat, fat and vegetables) started developing the illnesses of the Western diet within a generation of colonialism occuring in their lands.

      I see this in my own family. My grand uncles and aunts are in their 90s and 100s (on both paternal and maternal side) and they never did more than walk short distances in their towns back in the Horn of Africa. They also ate a lot of saturated fat, veggies and grains (injera) prepared the traditional way. Their children out in the West? On dialysis machines, going blind, can't walk, on multiple medications, etc...

      Mocha Z 1402 pts

      Sophia Yes....there is something to be said about the 100 year old relatives raised on a farm or rural areas who have all working body parts, healthy and with most of their teeth.

      LuMaTsao 14 pts

      I encourage everyone to read up on the dentist Weston Price. He basically went around the world noticed that people living off the land had no cavities and generative diseases, including obesity. When 1st world technological foods were being introduced, they started to have cavities, diseases..etc. The cookbook Nourishing Traditions is based on his findings.

      Basically, the more grass fed pasture raised animal (fat/butter/organs) we eat, the healthier we are. Couple that with local vegetables, small amounts of fruits, and grains, the better.

      Sophia 226 pts

      LuMaTsao Oh my God! We posted this at the same time!!! Cool!

      Mocha Z 1402 pts

      LuMaTsao Read about that a few years ago. It makes sense. I had always questioned the cavity thing and why the mouth/tooth structure is almost perfectly wide. I swear google has ruined me. Acne is another one I thought may be a result of generations of conditioning with processed foods.

      Brenda55 2617 pts moderator

      Chris, Lean over close cause I'm only gonna say this once.

      That photo you used in this piece. Your wrong girl. Pure de wrong. That is a whole lotta butt.

      Worse still in my former life as I nurse I used to see stuff like that nekked. It's enough to drive a nurse to the bottle.

      Christelyn 2190 pts moderator

      Brenda55 LOL! and...O.o! OMG...to see that nekkid...might go blind...

      Christelyn 2190 pts moderator

      Brenda55 OMG I saw the girl in the video once at the Carson Mall in S. California! It was hilarious...she had a parade of dude following behind her ahahaha

      Karla 1679 pts

      Brenda55 Notice, though, that the women dancing were ultra-fit. They had the abs and their butts weren't that big. They were sticking them out to give that illusion. I didn't see one fat or thick woman in this video.

      Karla 1679 pts

      Brenda55 What's even more wrong is you putting that image in someone's mental Rolodex! I had to poke out my third eye!!

      Law Wanxi 1911 pts

      Brenda55

      "Worse still in my former life as I nurse I used to see stuff like that nekked. "

      I'll see you and raise you pelvic exam/PAP smear. ick.

      Brenda55 2617 pts moderator

      OK. You win. Two senses to one. With mine only my vision was compromised. Your's risked the visual and olfactory. At least the nurse can stand farther back. Tough being a doc.

      formavitae 326 pts

      Brenda55 Lol! The worst part isn't having to SEE it...it's having to MOVE it!!! (with little to assistance, due to their lack of energy)

      ValleyOfTheSun 41 pts

      My first guess would've been Native Americans.

      Yes, an unfortunate percentage of black women in the U.S. are fat. What can we do? Not many people make drastic behavioral changes at the request of concerned strangers (or even loved ones), sadly. The good news is that people CAN and DO change their behaviors/habits, the bad news is that change usually only occurs on their terms and timeframe.

      Live your life and take care of yourself. Others might become inspired by your positive life choices, and they might not. Either way, you'll have done all that you can do.

      Sophia 226 pts

      ValleyOfTheSun Native Americans, especially the prairie Indians, back in the early nineteenth century were among the tallest people in the world. These people lived off the bison meat they killed. Hunters. Once they started trading with the whites and exchanged their goods for flour and sugar it all went to hell for them.

      I read about Inuits, who traditionally subsisted on a high fat/high protein diet (seal fat, fish), going back to that style of eating in order to combat the rampant obesity and diabetes in their communities and it is working.

      ValleyOfTheSun 41 pts

      Sophia I didn't know about some groups going back to their traditional diets. That makes perfect sense and I'm glad it's working for them.