Background
Black women are unfairly penalized by an outdated measure – the BMI. BMI and WC guidelines were derived from studies of predominantly white and European populations. Since then research and studies have shown that African Americans have lower total and abdominal fat mass compared to white women, making the BMI a terrible way to measure Black women. Studies also found that white women with BMI 30+ and WC of 36in+ are at greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol but for Black women’s numbers were 32in+ and 38in+ respectively. It is clear that black women shouldn’t be measured the same as white women because the threshold is different. This is important because your BMI is used to measure risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease. It’s also used to determine eligibility for things like IVF, surgery and more. This has serious implications because Black women are being targeted, doctors claiming that their BMI is too high would increase their medical insurance or add additional costs. Not only does this affect how black women are treated in medical rooms but it also impacts their self-esteem, and body image.
Painpoints
over stepping boundaries
lack of resources
lack of community
projecting
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