Source:
New York Daily
According to research published in the Archives of Pediatrics &
Adolescent Medicine, black girls are less responsive to the benefits of
physical activity.
Researchers studied the exercise levels and caloric intake of a group
of 1,148 adolescent girls at age 12. Two years later, lower levels of
obesity correlated with higher levels of exercise in white girls.
Surprisingly, the same wasn’t true for black girls — those who reported
frequent physical activity were just as likely to be obese two years
later as ones who rarely exercised.
The study’s authors pointed to earlier research that helps explain why
African-American girls might be at a disadvantage in the weight game,
such as having lower metabolic rates and lower rates of fat oxidation
than their white peers.
Other potential contributing factors are a higher daily caloric intake
and more sedentary behaviors, like watching TV, the study says.
There is much that is wrong about the article...from the many gross generalizations to the lack of an authentic sample that reflects the female black African American population...i
don't have access to the complete report which cost $34.95 but on what is it basing the notion that black girls
watch more TV than white girls and there for are not more physically active?...
The writer and editor behind the website a black girls guide to weightloss, Erika Nicole Kendall, sums up my concerns with this research. You can read about it here
Here is the abstract of the research from PubMed
Descriptive Study of Educated African American Women Successful at Weight-Loss Maintenance Through Lifestyle Changes.
Source
Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 1504 Taub Loop, Houston, TX, 77030, USA, smith@bcm.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Interventions
to address obesity and weight loss maintenance among African Americans
have yielded modest results. There is limited data on African Americans
who have achieved successful long-term weight loss maintenance.
OBJECTIVE:
To
identify a large sample of African American adults who intentionally
achieved clinically significant weight loss of 10 %; to describe
weight-loss and maintenance efforts of African Americans through a
cross-sectional survey; to determine the feasibility of establishing a
registry of African American adults who have successfully lost weight.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:
African
American volunteers from the United States ≥ 18 years of age were
invited to complete a cross-sectional survey about weight, weight-loss,
weight-loss maintenance or regain. Participants were invited to submit
contact information to be maintained in a secure registry.
MAIN MEASURES:
Percentage
of participants who achieved long-term weight-loss maintenance
reporting various dietary and physical activity strategies, motivations
for and social-cognitive influences on weight loss and maintenance,
current eating patterns, and self-monitoring practices compared to
African Americans who lost weight but regained it. Participants also
completed the Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
KEY RESULTS:
Of
3,414 individuals screened, 1,280 were eligible and completed surveys.
Ninety-percent were women. This descriptive analysis includes 1,110
women who lost weight through non-surgical means. Over 90 % of
respondents had at least some college education. Twenty-eight percent of
respondents were weight-loss maintainers. Maintainers lost an average
of 24 % of their body weight and had maintained ≥ 10 % weight loss for
an average of 5.1 years. Maintainers were more likely to limit their fat
intake, eat breakfast most days of the week, avoid fast food
restaurants, engage in moderate to high levels of physical activity, and
use a scale to monitor their weight.
CONCLUSIONS:
Influences and practices differ among educated African American women who maintain weight loss compared to those who regain it.
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