Allure magazine polled 2,000 women and men about aging and learned that 86% of the African-American participants believed they age the best (only 81% of Asians, 53% of Hispanics/Latinos and 46% of Whites/Caucasians answered that way about their ethnic group).

And unlike the (now infamous) poll about black women having a better physical self image than their white counterparts despite the fact that 80% of us are technically overweight, this poll is based not on delusion, but reality. What people fail to mention is that many black women glean that esteem not in a vacuum, but because men like Sir Mix-a-Lot glorifies the extra pounds. While there’s nothing wrong with a round rump, just know most men like to see a waistline to occompany it.

“Black women look 16 until they’re 80,” says David Flint, who prefers dating women of color, but also perfers a woman to be fit and a healthy weight.

I recently had a conversation with a white, male friend of mine, David Flint, who prefers the looks of darker-skinned women, jokingly tell me that “Black women look 16 until they’re like, 80.”

I wouldn’t go that far, but I’d say he’s on to something–black women (and darker skinned women in general) have thicker skin, stronger collagen connections, and less sun damage than their fiar-skinned counterparts. Not to brag, but I’ll be 40 this year and I still get carded for alcohol. Regularly.

Allure, do us a favor…let us have this. This is not delusion, this is a truism.