Black and White Women's Weight-Related Attitudes and Parental Criticism of Their Childhood Appearance

Abstract

Black (27%) and White (73%) women (n = 215) completed a survey assessing weight concern, ideal body size beliefs, body dissatisfaction, attitudes toward overweight body size, and parental criticism of their childhood appearance. Sixty-four percent of the women reported they were currently trying to lose weight and 63% desired a body size thinner than their own. High weight concern and negative attitudes toward overweight persons were reported, respectively, by 45% and 17%, of the women. The only significant difference found by race was weight concern as White women rated this significantly higher than Black women. No significant frequencies of choice were associated with the women's socio-economic level. Self-reported ratings of weight concernwere significant and positively associated with those for body dissatisfaction, negative attitudes toward overweight persons, negative attitudes toward one's own overweight, and criticism of childhood appearance by mothers or fathers.