BODY-SIZE VALUES OF WHITE AND BLACK-WOMEN

The purpose of this naturalistic study was to compare values held by 3 6 white and 31 black women related to body size, and to identify facto rs that influence these values and linkages between body size values a nd weight management activities. Black women of lower SES were signifi cantly different from black women of higher SES and white women, regar dless of SES, in that they were heavier, viewed themselves as heavier, and perceived attractive body size as heavier. Black lower status wom en had to become a great deal heavier than the other groups before the y defined themselves as overweight. We suggest that black lower social status women have a wider range of ''normal'' and attractive body siz e and that this wider range is developed from comparisons of other wom en in their social milieu and influences the initiation of weight loss activities. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.