Despite all the medical and media attention focused on the rate of
overweight and obesity in the African American population, African
American images and body types are greatly influencing changes in
the fashion, fitness, advertising, television and movie industries.
This is because overweight, like beauty, can be in the eye of the
beholder. Most research studies investigating attitudes about body
image and body type among African Americans have shown they are
more satisfied with their bodies than are their white counterparts
and that there appears to be a wider range of acceptable body
shapes and weights, and a more flexible standard of attractiveness,
among black Americans as compared to whites. That fact is not being
lost on leaders of industries that might profit from understanding
this wider range of beauty, as well as playing to it. In this book,
medical anthropologist Eric Bailey introduces and explains the
self-acceptance and body image satisfaction of African Americans,
and traces how that has spurred changes in industry. His book fills
the void of scientific evidence to enhance the understanding of
African Americans' perceptions related to body image and beauty-and
is the first to document these issues from the perspective of an
African American male. Despite all the medical and media attention
focused on the rate of overweight and obesity in the African
American population, African American images and body types are
greatly influencing changes in the fashion, fitness, advertising,
television, and movie industries. This is because overweight, like
beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. Most research studies
investigating attitudes about body image and body type among
African Americans have shown they are more satisfied with their
bodies than are their white counterparts. Most black women, for
example, are of course concerned with how they look, but do not
judge themselves in terms of their weight and do not believe they
are valued mostly on the basis of their bodies. Black teen girls
most often say being thick and curvaceous with large hips and ample
thighs is seen as the most desirable body shape. Thus, there
appears to be a wider range of acceptable body shapes and weights,
and a more flexible standard of attractiveness, among black
Americans as compared to whites. That fact is not lost on leaders
of industries that might profit from understanding this wider range
of beauty, as well as playing to it. Voluptuous supermodel Tyra
Banks is just one African American who's broken the mold in that
industry. The effects have been seen right down to department and
local clothes stores, where lines of larger and plus-size fashions
are expanding, becoming more colorful and more ornate. In the
fitness industry, health gurus Madonna Grimes and Billy Blanks have
been revolutionizing how people get fit and how fitness needs to be
redeveloped for the African American population. Advertising has
taken a similar turn, not the least manifestation of which were the
major campaigns Dove and Nike ran in 2005 with plus-sized actresses
(who continue to appear in promotions for both companies). In
movies and on television shows, the African American beautiful body
image has followed suit. In this book, medical anthropologist Eric
Bailey introduces and explains the self-acceptance and body image
satisfaction of African Americans, and traces how that has spurred
changes in industry. His book fills the void of scientific evidence
to enhance the understanding of African Americans' perceptions
related to body image and beauty-and is the first to document these
issues from the perspective of an African American male.
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