Obesity in Inner City African Americans
Weight Loss Study Aim
Obesity, a risk factor for chronic diseases, has a high prevalence in
African Americans and low-income individuals. However, little is known
about perceptions of overweight, attempts to lose weight, and strategies
used to lose weight among African Americans in inner cities.
Weight Loss Study Results
Obesity was common (44 percent) in this sample of inner-city African Americans.
The obese perceived themselves as overweight (70 percent) and were trying
to lose weight (66 percent). The majority of the obese (68 percent) were
both dieting and exercising to lose weight. Smoking prevalence was not
higher among the obese or those trying to lose weight. Many of the obese
had received medical advice recently on low-fat diets (51 percent) and
had been advised to lose weight (40 percent). Factors independently associated
with perception, attempts to lose weight and medical advice differed,
but included degree of obesity.
Weight Loss Study Conclusions
These results corroborate US national data that obesity is a public health
problem in this population and that obese inner-city African Americans
perceive themselves as overweight and are trying to lose weight, especially
as degree of obesity increases. It also appears that smoking is not being
used as a weight loss strategy and that the obese, as a group, are receiving
some medical advice on low-fat diets. This information is critical for
designing culturally sensitive weight-control programmes.
Source: Arfken CL, Houston CA. Center for
Health Behavior Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St
Louis, MO 63108, USA. 1996
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