Hair Styles Linked to Obesity in Black Women.

The Commercial Appeal ^ | 09-28-03 | johnny7

[johnny7]

Lets 'Do' it Right: Exercise.
Wendi Thomas
gomemphis.com

More than 60 percent of black women are overweight. And I'd bet that many of these women have nicely styled hair. How are the two related? Many of us are overweight because we don't exercise. And I maintain many of us don't exercise because we don't want to sweat out our hair. For those unfamiliar with black hair, here's a primer. Many black women have their hair chemically treated to make it straighter. As the hair grows, the process - called relaxing - must be repeated on the kinkier roots.

Water, humidity and sweat are the enemy of relaxed hair. I know. Many of my sporadic attempts to exercise have been foiled by my hair. I've done TaeBo under a swirling ceiling fan. I've ridden a stationary bike under an air-conditioning vent with a fan aimed at my head. I'll do almost anything to avoid sweating hard enough to mess up my 'do.'

Of course, other factors contribute to obesity, such as poor diet. But for women, and black women in particular, hair is a factor. "When the one thing you have going for you is your hair, you don't want that messed up," says Brenda Speight, community nutritionist for the health department. Speight remembers how as a child, she'd get her hair pressed on Saturdays, to ready it for church Sunday. When her hair was done, so was playtime. Her mother wouldn't let her start sweating and messing up that hair. For many women, Speight says, getting their hair done is about more than looking good. That trip to the beauty shop "may be the only time that week that the black woman is cared for, instead of doing the caring," Speight says.

The link between hair and black women's health hasn't escaped the attention of the medical community. With obesity comes a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer. While researching black women's health issues, Harvard professor Rima Rudd learned of the hair/health link at a community meeting, and from a man. "He said, 'You're not going to get anywhere talking about physical exercise in the black community unless you talk about hair.'" Interviews with Boston-area women confirmed the man's theory.

The research continued, at first with the support of the National Institutes of Health. But the NIH eventually withdrew financial support "because they said there was no scientific link between physical activity and hair," she said. Undeterred, Rudd and others spent $6,000 of their money to publish the pamphlet, Hair Care Tips for Sisters on the Move. That was five years ago. In the last few months, Rudd gave the pamphlet to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to republish. To see the brochure, go to www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstogether/hair.pdf. But do more than read. Move until you sweat. Even if it costs you your 'do.'

Contact Wendi C. Thomas at (901) 529-5896 or E-mail thomasw@gomemphis.com.

[cyborg]

Well I must confess. Yesterday I was in front of the computer, wherelse but on FR, sitting on my computer's subwoofer. I got up and it wasn't pretty. Jim Rob is going to get my butt implant/reshaping bill.

[varon]

Hair Styles Linked to Obesity in Black Women.

Yes Sireee, some correlations just can't be missed. Like big butts are linked to obesity in white womem ;-)

[HamiltonJay]

I see, so in the black community its ok to be vein about your hair, while you become morbidly obese??? And they wonder why young black men with potential don't date black women......


Amazing.

[cyborg]

Yes I've seen Murrays in the drug store. The ethnic hair care aisle is about a mile long. Lots of white people use 'ethnic' hair care stuff like hair grease (for frizzy ends), straightener for poodle hair,etc. Everyone now gets extensions. I do not need extensions and all that. I use a light straightener in my hair to de-frizz and puff it. Some of my friends they get their hair straigtened every month and wonder why the hair falls out. My hair bounces and behaves, but it's not say it's pinstraight esp. today after being out in the rain.

The old southern ladies are a trip. 'What's yo' peoples? where you get that hair from? You got some looooong hair. You got that good hair. ' Whatever...lol

[cyborg]

reading some of the magazines lately, some girls are whining about Jennifer Lopez' popularity and how before J.Lo black girls has big butts. Well actually the reason why Jennifer Lopez is so popular is because her rear is curvy but it's not FAT. Doesn't matter anyway. All the stars are trying to look like her.

Your statement could start Terry McMillan fans hurling books at you. I mostly agree. A lot of the ladies have not kept up with the trend of being fit, in shape and tight. The use the excuse that they don't need to look like white women,etc. Not about looking like someone else, or who you attract, it's about health.

[HighWheeler]

from Halle Berry biography:

"A native of Cleveland, OH, where she was born to an African-American father and white mother on August 14, 1968, Berry was raised by her mother, a psychiatric nurse, following her parents' divorce."

At a big awards show held in the last year or two, she chose to highlight only her black heritage (to the exclusion of her white half), even though her black father was reported to have walked out on the family, leaving her white mother to raise her alone. She didn't even mention her mother. Ingrate. And she can't drive either.

She still looks hot.

Most women spend far too much time, and allocate far too much value to their hair. They do it only for other women, because most men don't give a rats ass about women's hair - unless it's one of those whacko-liberal Haircuts by Hatchet™.

[LWalk18]

from Halle Berry biography: "A native of Cleveland, OH, where she was born to an African-American father and white mother on August 14, 1968, Berry was raised by her mother, a psychiatric nurse, following her parents' divorce." At a big awards show held in the last year or two, she chose to highlight only her black heritage (to the exclusion of her white half), even though her black father was reported to have walked out on the family, leaving her white mother to raise her alone. She didn't even mention her mother. Ingrate.

Since it was her MOTHER who brought her in front of a mirror as a child and explained to her that she would be seen as a black woman by society and thus she should identify as black, I hardly think she was offended by her speech. Black/white biracials were largely rejected by their white relatives up until 20-25 years ago, and they were largely accepted by blacks.

[cyborg]

Too bad shoe is on the other foot. Halle Berry thinks she's something else though. Just my personal opinion, but Halle Berry always seems in a perpetual state of confusion. Highwheeler was right. She whines about being black, but gets the superstar treatment in dodging crimes just like every other moviestar.

[Calvin Locke]

Arnold

1.) I figured he's been bashed and pre-empted enough.

2.) He did go from "Hercules in New York" to "Twins" to "Kindergarten Cop". A tad more range. I think in "Terminator", all of his lines fit on about 3 pages.

Almost as good as Harpo Marx.

[cyborg]

Most women spend far too much time, and allocate far too much value to their hair. They do it only for other women, because most men don't give a rats ass about women's hair - unless it's one of those whacko-liberal Haircuts by Hatchet™.

*** You are correct. Most men prefer long hair, even if it is extensions or whatever. Women across the board fuss about their hair. I had my hair shaved off once. It looked good for one week. Men love long,luxurious hair. I've yet to meet a man who loved short, nasty butchy lesbo hair cuts. Tastefully done, small cultivated dreadlocks look great. I've seen women with locks down to their feet.

[Lizavetta]

I will never forget years ago seeing a bunch of black women complaining (it was either on Oprah or Donahue) that they'd been wearing cornrows for eons, and it was only when Bo Derek wore them in "10" that the hairstyle got any attention. They also took the time to bitch about black actress Vanessa Williams, who was trying to (in their eyes) disassociate herself from her blackness because she had green contact lenses.

[cyborg]

Some people are never satisfied. Unhappy, bitter people will always find something to pick at. When did 10 come out? Isn't that movie old? Were these women who were complaining as attractive as Bo Derek? It was just a movie so please. AS for Vanessa Williams she herself comes from a mixed race family. If she were any whiter, she'd look like me. These are the same types that wrote reams of letters about Mariah Carey being a white girl trying to sing black, but then backed off a little when everyone found out her dad was a black hispanic from Venezuela. Now they still pick on her because she asserts her multiracial heritage and has a close bond with her mom. You can never win with hateful, meanspirited people.

[Twinkie]

Why doesn't everybody just quit trying to please
everybody else with how they look and just wear
things like they come? I remember when black people
simply let their hair be natural and it was fine.
No one ought to choose to be a slave to anything that
takes huge amounts of time and effort. No matter what
a person does anyway, there's always going to be
someone who doesn't like it.

[cyborg]

Pretty much. When my hair was long, people had something to say. When it was short like Halle Berry's hair, someone had something to say.

You are right. Time, effort and also money.

[Unknown Freeper]

Excuse me, Coach, but black women do wash their hair between having it done. In this case, having it done means getting it relaxed which usually happens between every four to six weeks. If you mean getting it styled every few days, then that is something different. I just wanted to make sure that was understood. Regards,

[cyborg]

Ah yes I almost have it down to a science. Never go to Rosario's on Saturday and Sunday. God help you if you go after twelve, otherwise all the touch ups come in like a wave. It's not hard to touch up roots, but I guess some women can't/don't have time. It's mighty expensive... Anyone who perms their hair less than four is crazy. Anyone who does it with hair color processed is asking for trouble.

Not that it's not humid, I can let my hair go for two weeks without looking like a squirrel's nest.

[Unknown Freeper]

Hi, Coach. When some black women get their hair wrapped, braided or done in certain styles (those "how do they sleep in that" styles,) they may not wash their hair for a few days or so. Some, as mentioned earlier, do not have to wash their hair every day because it would dry out their hair. Different hair styles require different maintenance schedules. Some do wash their hair every day. I just didn't want anyone to infer that women who get their hair relaxed don't wash it between those four to six-week appointments.