megimoo
05-26-2009, 10:39 PM
Racism linked to weight gain, Boston researchers say
Racism linked to weight gain, Boston researchers say By Elizabeth Cooney May 26, 2009 06:53 PM Perceptions of racism -- from being treated with suspicion in a store to unfairness in employment or housing -- can heighten stress levels and affect health, research has shown. A new study from Boston University links these smoldering signs of racism to weight gain in black women, suggesting a possible explanation for the their higher obesity rates compared to white women.
http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/05/experience_of_r.html
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7 comments so far...
Couldn't an underlying insecurity lead to both weight gain and higher sensitivity to apparent slights? How is the causality demonstrated here?
Posted by pg May 26, 09 07:24 PMObviously racism hasn't gone away - your study proves it - you are a racist!
Posted by Don Johnson May 26, 09 07:58 PMCome on. Of all the stories I've read today this has got to be the most outrageous. Honestly, some people are going to try and use every trick in the book to blame their bad habits, whether it be eating, drinking, smoking whatever on someone or something else.
It seems that no one is accountable anymore for their actions in this country. Let's see, why don't we blame the recession on "blue eyed white males" which the president of Brazil recently did.
Posted by Jim May 26, 09 07:59 PMIf McCain were president, George Bush would be linked to weight gain.
Posted by lol May 26, 09 08:08 PMIt is clear, very clear, that social experiences of discrimination against lead to pernicious hormonal and behavioral changes. It is not just a matter of habits, there are social and structural determinants of health. People under stress do not have the same chance of controlling themselves when eating. If they are under acute stress, the corticotropin hormone makes them to eat less. Right after the acute stress, the corticoids are still high and the corticotropin low and they eat a lot. That is well known. The weakness of this study is the utilization of perception of discrimination against as a measure of racism. I do not know how well correlated are other measures of racism with perception of racism. I also do not know what other measures ofracism are reliable.
Posted by John Smith May 26, 09 08:21 PMI don't know whether to laugh or cry. This is, quite possibly, the most asinine thing I've ever read.
Posted by urkiddinme May 26, 09 08:24 PMI have felt all the the feelings associated with the discriminatory practices listed above. If you want to discuss a problem, let's discuss self-esteem and the effects of being a woman, especially an aging woman, in this society. Let's do a study on that and see what results we get! That said, everyone has felt rejected and has been treated unfairly: male, female, black white, Asian, Hispanic, Christian, Jew, young old, etc. Yes, there is discrimination in this world and it is not restricted to black women.
Something else to consider is that just maybe the store clerk, policeman, waitress
or other perpetrator of "discriminatory" behavior was just having a bad day and took it out on thew closest person. It happens to me all the time and I'm not a black woman.
Posted by Kathie May 26, 09 08:28 PM
Racism linked to weight gain, Boston researchers say By Elizabeth Cooney May 26, 2009 06:53 PM Perceptions of racism -- from being treated with suspicion in a store to unfairness in employment or housing -- can heighten stress levels and affect health, research has shown. A new study from Boston University links these smoldering signs of racism to weight gain in black women, suggesting a possible explanation for the their higher obesity rates compared to white women.
http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/05/experience_of_r.html
..................................
7 comments so far...
Couldn't an underlying insecurity lead to both weight gain and higher sensitivity to apparent slights? How is the causality demonstrated here?
Posted by pg May 26, 09 07:24 PMObviously racism hasn't gone away - your study proves it - you are a racist!
Posted by Don Johnson May 26, 09 07:58 PMCome on. Of all the stories I've read today this has got to be the most outrageous. Honestly, some people are going to try and use every trick in the book to blame their bad habits, whether it be eating, drinking, smoking whatever on someone or something else.
It seems that no one is accountable anymore for their actions in this country. Let's see, why don't we blame the recession on "blue eyed white males" which the president of Brazil recently did.
Posted by Jim May 26, 09 07:59 PMIf McCain were president, George Bush would be linked to weight gain.
Posted by lol May 26, 09 08:08 PMIt is clear, very clear, that social experiences of discrimination against lead to pernicious hormonal and behavioral changes. It is not just a matter of habits, there are social and structural determinants of health. People under stress do not have the same chance of controlling themselves when eating. If they are under acute stress, the corticotropin hormone makes them to eat less. Right after the acute stress, the corticoids are still high and the corticotropin low and they eat a lot. That is well known. The weakness of this study is the utilization of perception of discrimination against as a measure of racism. I do not know how well correlated are other measures of racism with perception of racism. I also do not know what other measures ofracism are reliable.
Posted by John Smith May 26, 09 08:21 PMI don't know whether to laugh or cry. This is, quite possibly, the most asinine thing I've ever read.
Posted by urkiddinme May 26, 09 08:24 PMI have felt all the the feelings associated with the discriminatory practices listed above. If you want to discuss a problem, let's discuss self-esteem and the effects of being a woman, especially an aging woman, in this society. Let's do a study on that and see what results we get! That said, everyone has felt rejected and has been treated unfairly: male, female, black white, Asian, Hispanic, Christian, Jew, young old, etc. Yes, there is discrimination in this world and it is not restricted to black women.
Something else to consider is that just maybe the store clerk, policeman, waitress
or other perpetrator of "discriminatory" behavior was just having a bad day and took it out on thew closest person. It happens to me all the time and I'm not a black woman.
Posted by Kathie May 26, 09 08:28 PM