[johnny7]

Solid hair theory at the grassroots level!

[BenLurkin]

It's all the fault of the white establishment.

[independentmind]

Of course, other factors contribute to obesity, such as poor diet.

You don't say. I suspect poor diet is quite a bit more relevant than hair style.

[wizardoz]

I think black women who just wear their hair super short and natural look really cool. Especially if they're fit and dress nice, and wear those big hoopy earrings and nice lipstick. Short natural hair shows off a long neck and it feels neat against your cheek.

[hosepipe]

If sweating of the scalp will ruin a Doo...
A shower or bath would'nt do it any good either...
And with all the effort to avoid sweating of the scalp...
Kinda makes you go...Hmmmmmmmm.

[muir_redwoods]

So the consideration works like this. On one side of the balance we have styled hair. On the other we have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer, aggravation of back and joint problems and overall ill health.

Guess I'd go with the stylish hair too!

[cyborg]

Someone has too much time on her hands. While I find her essay laughable, she may well be right on some levels. I know many black ladies who are not necessarily rich BUT will spend an absolute fortune on hair and nails. Over the summer, it was horribly humid. My long hair got a mind of its own. Drove many of my black female customers crazy! I went to salon every week. Now I just do my own hair, and it's always different. I exercise and sweat. I put a straigtener in my hair over the summer so it didn't look like my dog was sitting on my head. But I'd not risk my health over sweating out a hairstyle...

[bikewench]

LOL...

I can believe it. I know women who sleep with their fist under their cheek so they don't spoil their fro.

Ruled by their follicles.

[mtbopfuyn]

Or it could be Freeper Butt from sitting in front of the screen here too much...

[US admirer]

http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_2304006,00.html for a pic of the author

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There is a direct correlation between weight and the average number of hours per week spent in front of the boob tube.

It would be racial profiling to mention which race statistically spends the greatest percentage of their time watching television.

[najida]

One of my dance students teaches TaeBo and pilates on the nights she isn't dancing (and sweating) with me. She weighs about 100# and has 8% body fat (I hate her).

Her solution? A short, cut and fabulous Tina Turner wig.

[Cobra64]

These folks are so inconsistent, it's incredible. What happened to, "black is beautifule?", and hey brothers and sister, how do you like my 'fro?" (That looked like a squirrel's nest in the '70s).

Perskonally, they just outta get the beans shaved. Then there ain't no problem.

[Unknown Freeper]

The black women and the hair thing started long before relaxers became popular on the market. Little black girls who had their hair "straightened" with the "hot comb" knew not to "get their hair all sweaty and messed up. Don't even talk about going to the beach and getting your "head wet." If anything, relaxers have let more black women be comfortable with being more active without "messing up the hair."

I would suggest that the obesity rate has more to do with the the traditional diet. Tons of carbs and the "clean your plate" mentality are the reason for the health problems of many black men and women.

(And now, the bonus round, where you are asked to explain "the kitchen." rofl)

[DonQ]

A slightly different theory: Rather than Afro-American women deliberately avoiding sweating, I would suppose the majority of them are not prosperous enough to have memberships at health clubs (or, if they can afford the memberships, don't have the free time or transportation to get to the clubs). This is significant. Apart from a health club, the primary options or oppportunities for exercise are outdoors - with wind and rain that can wreck hairdos.

A century ago, Thorstein Veblen articulated the notion of Conspicuous Consumption; that people will deliberately acquire or cultivate things that indicate high status to the rest of the world. Case in point: The extremely long fingernails of Chinese mandarins ... the long fingernails were proof that person didn't have to work - or do much of anything - with his hands. Another example: The Fred Astair walking stick or the military swaggerstick ... carrying this useless item meant that he couldn't be expected to carry or use his hands for anything else. Pretty much the same deal with elaborate hairstyles - for women of any color; these convoluted and delicate hair arrangements tell the world that the woman (a) has enough spare time to sit still for this time consuming hairstyling, and (b) isn't ever required to do anything that would spoil the hairdo.

[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.