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Read other letters about this article
Debra Dickerson is not saying Buffie is not attractive.
She is saying "Recent press reports show why black women should be alarmed: More than half of us are obese -- 78 percent are considered overweight."
What's wrong with pointing this out? Shouldn't we be alarmed at these numbers?
"The Centers for Disease Control finds that rates of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death are higher among black women, and when we get these diseases, we're sicker than white women."
She's merely pointing out the consequences of being overweight.
What's the problem?
"Womenshealth.gov reports that "compared with overweight white Americans, overweight black Americans are two to three times more likely to say their weight is average -- even after they've been told they are overweight or obese by a doctor (emphasis added). It's one thing not to "see" that you need to lose weight. It's quite another to reject that knowledge from the medical professional you sought out."
It seems to me that Dickerson is simply trying to point out that black women are more likely to be overweight and are less likely to admit it or do anything about it, in large part because of cultural factors, and that this combination of fact and factors is dangerous to their health, no matter how 'sexy' some people find the results.
Perhaps people are responding to this being a D. Dickerson article - she does seem to raise hackles. But she makes some good points. And Buffie, while undeniably sexy, is by self-admission living a life of junk food and no exercise - what is to celebrate in that? While her shape/proportions are certainly in part due to genetics, she is carrying around quite a bit of extra weight (especially if you look at the full catalogue of photos, including those not heavily air brushed and digitally enhanced). Maybe the extra weight for her (or others posting the fat-but-healthy fantastic) doesn't negatively impact her health now, while she is relatively young..but Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other weight-related maladies tend to be the result of the accumulation of bad habits + years. Many overweight people don't start suffering the consequences of their lifestyle choices until they are 50 or so.
I think that's all Dickerson was pointing out - our country is undeniably fatter and there are undeniable negative health consequences to that, and black women are being disproportionately negatively affected by these trends in part because of a misguided cultural approval to refrain from adopting healthier habits. Maybe I read it wrong, though.
