weight-loss tips differ in African-American, mainstream women's magazines

[femmenoire]

A new study suggests that weight loss stories in black women’s magazines tend to recommend fad diets and faith at higher rates than “mainstream” women’s magazines, which are more likely to promote eating whole grains, smaller portions and lower-fat foods. Wonderful, because fad diets and “faith in God” are two sure things to melt off the pounds of the black women — 3/4 of whom are overweight or obese — reading the magazines! I’m sure even the most conservative pastors would tell you that laying off the fries and getting your ass off the couch will help you lose weight better than prayer.
For their data, researchers used 406 weight loss articles published from 1984 to 2004 in Ebony, Jet, Essence, Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes & Gardens, and Good Housekeeping.
The magazines suggested many of the same weight-loss strategies, but mainstream magazines were twice as likely to suggest eating more whole grains and protein, smaller portions, and low-fat foods. Relying on God or faith was suggested by 1 in 10 weight-loss stories in the African-American magazines, but in almost no weight-loss stories in the mainstream magazines.
Fad diets were promoted as legitimate strategies in 15 percent of weight-loss stories in the African-American magazines, compared to only 5 percent in the mainstream magazines. Fad diets, defined as diets that may work in the short term but often do not result in sustained changes, included the Dick Gregory Bahamian Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Hilton Head Diet, and the Atkins Diet.
Mainstream magazines offered more strategies per article than African-American magazines. And, while mainstream magazines increased fitness and nutrition coverage during the second decade as the severity of the obesity epidemic unfolded, African-American magazines did not.
If the study is to be believed — and it doesn’t surprise me much — it means that editors at black women’s magazines need to catch up with the times and put forth more of an effort to educate readers about fitness and nutrition.

http://www.stereohyped.com/black-womens-magazines-are-singing-a-different-tune-when-it-comes-to-dieting-20080115/#comments

http://www.physorg.com/news119545914.html

[JofromthaNO]

I do notice, in black media, we tend to focus on the "wrong" reasons for losing weight, like looking good (not that its wrong to look good) or superficial reasons. I think for black america to really consider what it does for our health and the health of those we bring into the world, more magazines need to focus on how we can incorporate healthy eating habits into our lifestyles and how to, while still having our favorite foods, use better ingredients to get similar results.

When I shop at stores like Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, I rarely see a black face. I try and push as many of my co-workers as possible to try places like this. Sometimes they say it's expensive to eat well, but Trader Joe's is cheaper when compared to a regular supermarket here. And, it's no wonder stores like this are, many times, built in "white" neighborhoods as to deter middle/lower income people of color to shop there because of cost concerns.

[SEXY_SCORPIO]

I do notice, in black media, we tend to focus on the "wrong" reasons for losing weight, like looking good (not that its wrong to look good) or superficial reasons. I think for black america to really consider what it does for our health and the health of those we bring into the world, more magazines need to focus on how we can incorporate healthy eating habits into our lifestyles and how to, while still having our favorite foods, use better ingredients to get similar results.

When I shop at stores like Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, I rarely see a black face. I try and push as many of my co-workers as possible to try places like this. Sometimes they say it's expensive to eat well, but Trader Joe's is cheaper when compared to a regular supermarket here. And, it's no wonder stores like this are, many times, built in "white" neighborhoods as to deter middle/lower income people of color to shop there because of cost concerns.



:yes::yes:

[Izayoi]

AIf the study is to be believed — and it doesn’t surprise me much — it means that editors at black women’s magazines need to catch up with the times and put forth more of an effort to educate readers about fitness and nutrition.

:angry: Magazines are about advertising and those mags are playing what they perceive is their demographics level. It's a disservice. I noticed this a long time ago with Heart and Soul and canceled my subscription- at the time the editor was very overweight (this was many years ago and I'm sure the ship has changed hands) and there were way more articles about make up than fitness.



When I shop at stores like Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, I rarely see a black face. I try and push as many of my co-workers as possible to try places like this. Sometimes they say it's expensive to eat well, but Trader Joe's is cheaper when compared to a regular supermarket here. And, it's no wonder stores like this are, many times, built in "white" neighborhoods as to deter middle/lower income people of color to shop there because of cost concerns.

:yes::yes::yes: One of the primary excuses I hear is it costs too much to eat healthy. I heard this from a young lady that ate out 3X a day everyday :hmm: Whole Foods even has tours on how you can shop economically and still get some organic foods.
Trader Joes is great and I've given tours there before to show people that healthy on a budget is possible.

[JofromthaNO]

:angry: Magazines are about advertising and those mags are playing what they perceive is their demographics level. It's a disservice. I noticed this a long time ago with Heart and Soul and canceled my subscription- at the time the editor was very overweight (this was many years ago and I'm sure the ship has changed hands) and there were way more articles about make up than fitness.




:yes::yes::yes: One of the primary excuses I hear is it costs too much to eat healthy. I heard this from a young lady that ate out 3X a day everyday :hmm: Whole Foods even has tours on how you can shop economically and still get some organic foods.
Trader Joes is great and I've given tours there before to show people that healthy on a budget is possible.

I'm trying to convince my boyfriend of how much more a year it costs to eat out versus cooking at home. Although we all fall into easily picking up some fast food after work, etc., in the long run, we save money and eat much healthier if we plan our eating options out ahead of time.

[bigirl]

Man I have done comparison shopping with people who shop at "regular" supermarkets and cry that "its too expensive" song. If we both spend $100 I end up with more food of a much higher quality and they are stunned. Then I do an analysis with them and show them that their hot pockets cost almost 4 bucks and whatever other processed packaged goods. Then they see that my tofu sausages cost less than their meat ones and they trip.
People are brainwashed to think its so expensive.

[JofromthaNO]

Man I have done comparison shopping with people who shop at "regular" supermarkets and cry that "its too expensive" song. If we both spend $100 I end up with more food of a much higher quality and they are stunned. Then I do an analysis with them and show them that their hot pockets cost almost 4 bucks and whatever other processed packaged goods. Then they see that my tofu sausages cost less than their meat ones and they trip.
People are brainwashed to think its so expensive.

Sounds like these magazines should do some sort of comparison shopping and show African American consumers what food and money they are missing out on...

[bigirl]

Sounds like these magazines should do some sort of comparison shopping and show African American consumers what food and money they are missing out on...

It just occurred to me that myself and others who know should perhaps be writing these articles and shopping them to these mags. Problem is, I know how it works;alot of the articles are advertising driven as in they give plugs to the products of their advertisers :hmm: :smh:

[Cleopatra_J]

Lately I've been trying to filter in more organic foods into the groceries that I buy. My roommate does not like it..He claims organic milk taste funny, but I tell him he's conditioned to think that. I try to cook at home at least 3 nights a week. I feel so much healthier, even if its something quick like sloppy joes with ground turkey or just throwing some fish in the oven... much much better!!!

[m2m]

:yes::yes::yes: One of the primary excuses I hear is it costs too much to eat healthy. I heard this from a young lady that ate out 3X a day everyday :hmm: Whole Foods even has tours on how you can shop economically and still get some organic foods.
Trader Joes is great and I've given tours there before to show people that healthy on a budget is possible.

Cosign, the problem is people don't know how to cook anymore. When you start mentioning all the ingredients that go into one dish, people freak out thinking about the price. Not realizing that most of the ingredients (spices, cooking oils, etc) are going to last a lot of meals.

[Izayoi]

Cosign, the problem is people don't know how to cook anymore. When you start mentioning all the ingredients that go into one dish, people freak out thinking about the price. Not realizing that most of the ingredients (spices, cooking oils, etc) are going to last a lot of meals.

True! I try to tell them once they slowly build up a pantry of staples (start off maybe with just one or two things a week, the actual food- lean protein and vegetables (frozen is very economical) and a few other perishable things are pretty inexpensive. I got a pack of organic free range chicken that will last for several meals for 5.00 at the Trader Joes. That's roughly the price of one fast food sandwich.

[bigirl]

Yeah people don't know how to stock a pantry anymore. I have a well rounded spice cabinet that I accumulated over time. My basics are sea salt, black pepper, thyme, allspice and my creole seasoning. But I have curry and a bunch of other things around in case I need them. Accumulated over years.

Always keep on hand onions, celery, hot and sweet peppers, potatoes, brown rice, soy products, various canned tomato products, a variety of canned and dried beans, pasta, cornmeal, flour, stuff like that. When I want to cook I just cook.

Things like greens and fish and veggies I buy the day or day before I am going to cook them.

Lil extras I keep around are olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, a lil cheese.

I eat very well and nothing is expensive.

[sah]

One thing I've learned in life is "us all available resources."

[Helico-pterFunk]

One thing I've learned in life is "use all available resources."

Exactly. Have fun ... be creative ... try new things ... be diverse.

There's no specific right/wrong in this world. Just go with your healthiest/best choices when it comes to nutrition ... allow yourself to cheat occasionally (as we're all human) ... and by far OUTNUMBER the "bad" in your diet with all the "GOOD/GREAT" you can possibly uptake.

Also ... eat many small meals throughout the day (spread out by a few hours) to keep your body charged + going, and also to increase metabolism.

[gene cisco]

I think the magazines are just given tis readers what they want.

Black women and white women approach this differently. Our culture puts up with being fat, almost embraces it. White culture does not. Since we try to shun alot of shit as "acting white" this might be a problem also.

Sure even with immigrants you had the "eat,eat, eat" thing, but once they became americanized you best believe their daughters are in the bathroom after a meal shoving their dam fingers down their throat.

This "culture" thing is one reason why traditionally things like binging/purging and anorexia have been the domain of white women.

I will say it, alot of black women care more about their freaking FINGERNAILS/hair than their dam weight. In cleveland we got a hair/nail shop on ever fucking corner, and they all making money!!!!!!!

Then there is the hate!!!! If a black woman holds on to her body in her late 20's 30' and 40s by busting her ass in the gym and eating right, the fat women in our community our filled with hate.

I know the fat white women probably feel jealousy deep inside, but they are quick to compliment the skinny women, for some reason the fat black women want to bring the skinny one down to their level and say negative shit. :smh:

I have said it b4 and will say it many times, I see no difference in the way black men and white men approach fitness, we can kick it in the gym with white guys and we all tend to believe being fat or small and weak is not an option. :yes:

When training them, I see, or should say hear ,nothing different on their outlook towards their goals.

While with black and white women its like night and day, we have to change that. They should not be embracing being overweight and being so proud of it.

Its self esteem(being happy in your own skin), but in a twisted JOKER from batman kinda of logic, cause nobody with TRUE SELF WORTH would degrade their body like that!!!!!!!!!!!

MONIQUE should be publicly bitch slapped for trying to keep black women in the position they are leading the charge into diabetes,heart disease, cancer, stroke and all the other problems obesity causes!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, if a "black" magazine was doing more "fitness related" stuff than hair/nail shit and other gossip, the sales would go down, unless you put pictures of fit men in them summabitches. :lol: :lol: :lol: For some reason fat women want to stay fat, but love them some fit men. :dunno: Well shit so do men, but them fat bastards know they got to pay, for some reason fat black women will actually try to clown you if you turn them down.

"this too much woman for you" "you probably into them skinny girls" "fuck you, you aint all that anyway"

Again just my 2 cents.

[Izayoi]

:lol: ^^^^ Damn Gene some tough love up in there!

Monique :hmm::angry:

...and yeah for a slim chick in her 30's the hate is real sometimes, but I'm hopeful that there can be a middle ground where we really value or temples without defining ourselves by bizarre extremes (extreme thinness or extremely fat).

Bottom line, everybody wants to look attractive. Its bullshit to talk around it. If the laws of attraction dictate that she who has the most thunder in her thighs and most buttered fat rolls on her behinds wins the day, folks are going to follow that.

[gene cisco]

:lol: ^^^^ Damn Gene some tough love up in there!

Monique :hmm::angry:

...and yeah for a slim chick in her 30's the hate is real sometimes, but I'm hopeful that there can be a middle ground where we really value or temples without defining ourselves by bizarre extremes (extreme thinness or extremely fat).

Bottom line, everybody wants to look attractive. Its bullshit to talk around it. If the laws of attraction dictate that she who has the most thunder in her thighs and most buttered fat rolls on her behinds wins the day, folks are going to follow that.

You make a valid point about the too thin, Hollywood and the fashion industry are on some "pedophile fantasy" shit if you asked me. I know the camera adds bout 10-20lbs to person, but they want women to resemble 11 year old boys in most cases.

This is the main excuse alot of our women use...." I aint bout to be like them lil skinny ass white girls." They forget you can be in slim, with low BF% and keep your curves, hollywood doesnt promote curvy women, neither does the fashion industry.

We do not have enough female role models. The video girls are young and alot of them never had to work out a day in their life.................YET!!!!!!

Angela basset was one, but she fell off the faith of the earth. Beyonce as proved you can have low bf% and keep your curves if you work at it, but we still need more!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JofromthaNO]

Especially with my recent move back to the South, I am beginning to see some of the complacency men will have with bigger African American women. People look at me like I am crazy down here when I say how much I go to the gym and my eating habits...

But, particularly in the South, having a gym regimen and better eating habits are not status quo. People are still cooking their fat-infested meals and leading sedentary lives. I do commend certain celebrities and role models (i.e, Steve Harvey and a few years ago, Tom Joyner) for publicizing their "life changes" and fitness goals with the media. However, it's very rare you see a black female celebrity (besides Oprah) outwardly keeping and publicizing her weight loss plans and goals. Usually, you'll see the dramatic weight loss AFTER THE FACT (i.e., Janet Jackson, Tyra Banks, Star Jones) and that celebrity trying to create publicity for the celebrity trainer and plan that got him/her there. We don't have those role models, as mentioned before, that show us their struggles with weight loss. I think it would mean much to many African American women if they saw women they looked up to constantly fighting that battle with them.

[doublejizzle]

I hate to say it, but I don't see many sistas at the gym and the ones that I do are often walking extremely slow on the treadmill while trying to talk on the phone. I know alot of people hate to run, but it is a core movement for losing weight. Running, swimming, jumping rope are some of the best and I think women tend to shy away from these in favor of elliptical machines, and steppers which don't give the same workout.


The fact still remains that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you are just going to have to go old school and eat right and exercise.

[Izayoi]

However, it's very rare you see a black female celebrity (besides Oprah) outwardly keeping and publicizing her weight loss plans and goals. Usually, you'll see the dramatic weight loss AFTER THE FACT (i.e., Janet Jackson, Tyra Banks, Star Jones) and that celebrity trying to create publicity for the celebrity trainer and plan that got him/her there. We don't have those role models, as mentioned before, that show us their struggles with weight loss. I think it would mean much to many African American women if they saw women they looked up to constantly fighting that battle with them.

C/S Jo! By only seeing dramatic afters it downplays the fact that losing weight and getting shape requires WORK. Some sistas start but when they dont look like Janet in 2 months they lose interest...and as doublejizzel mentioned strolling casually while talking on one's cell phone is not going to get you where you want to be.

[JofromthaNO]

C/S Jo! By only seeing dramatic afters it downplays the fact that losing weight and getting shape requires WORK. Some sistas start but when they dont look like Janet in 2 months they lose interest...and as doublejizzel mentioned strolling casually while talking on one's cell phone is not going to get you where you want to be.

Very true! And, again, all in all, women should be focusing on the health benefits from working out more so than just the physical changes that will come... I try to focus on how much healthier I am becoming, and the weight loss will, hopefully, be a secondary gain from all that I am doing.

[DAYNE]

black women don't take the gym seriously until their looks start to fade, for the most part...