Hair Styles Linked to Obesity in Black Women.

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.'

Oh its not even a matter of being supurbly fit... sure there is nothing against being fit, but there are an awful lot of urban black women (and frankly poorer white women as well) who just don't give a damne to even try to take care of themselves... I'm not talking an extra 10 or 20 lbs... or hell even 30... there are a lot of em that just frankly are 2-3 times the size they should be.

And I am not talking about the big boned sisters, who truely are just hearty stock.... I know a few of them and they are sexy as hell. They may be large, but they truly are all muscle (well maybe not all... GRIN) I got no problems with a large woman or a large arse, and frankly I do like my women with a little more curve to them than just about anything you are going to see in Cosmo... But if they are just morbidly obese, which is a very real problem in the same communities complaining about their "hair".... that just ain't cutting it.

So let em through a book at me, but between the propensity for the "entitlement" mentality, and the lack of self respect, while having no problem screaming about deserving it... and all the other issues... I just find it amusing how they complain that most of the men with potential won't date them... when its pretty damned obvious the guys with potential recognize that they would quickly rob them of every ounce of it if they got involved with em.

I know its not PC, and it definately does not apply to every urban black woman.. but its definately true enough. Face it, what does a young man on his way up in the world want to be saddled with a 18-20 year old with 2-3 kids that aren't his, and a woman who's world view is that of entitlement? He's got his whole life ahead of him, why would he let himself be dragged down by that drama?

Sorry, its rough, but its true.

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