When Does Big and Beautiful = Overweight?
October 25, 2009 by Tracy Hopkins
Filed under Celebrity Style, Entertainment, Women's Health
I wrestle with this question. African-American and Latina women tend to have a healthier body image than women of other races. Although I don’t believe you have to be stick thin or weight obsessed to be beautiful, I do believe in being healthy. Your body mass index (BMI) can help determine your healthy weight range based on your height. But even without a scale, we know when we’re in shape and when we’re not.
"Precious" star, Gabourey Sibide
Several stars of the Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry-produced “Precious” are zaftig. The movie hits theaters November 6th, and is based on the brilliantly brazen novel “Push” by Sapphire. The compelling drama tells the tragic-yet-triumphant story of abused, illiterate and overweight teen Precious Jones, and co-stars Mo’Nique, Sherri Shepherd, and newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe.
Mo'Nique stars as an abusive mother in "Precious."
Mo’Nique is best known as a comedian and advocate of being big and sexy. But she recently lost weight after a wake-up call from her husband.
“I was very comfortable at 262 pounds,” she told Oprah. ”I’m in the bathroom mirror one day admiring 262. And [my husband] says, ‘Mama, how much do you weigh?’ I said ‘262.’ And he said, ‘Mmm.”
"View" host Sherri Shepherd dropped 41 lbs.
Sherri Shepherd has become a poster girl for weight loss success after dropping 41 lbs.; a measure she took to control her diabetes. Sidibe, who plays the title character Precious, however, told New York magazine that despite the press and the public’s perception of her based on her character, she’s extremely comfortable in her own skin:
“They try to paint the picture that I was this downtrodden, ugly girl who was unpopular in school and in life, and then I got this role and now I’m awesome,” she told the magazine. “But the truth is that I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role.”
What do you Hot Mamas think? When does big and beautiful cross the line and become unhealthy and overweight?
Image credit: PCN, Newscom
I read the post and wanted to comment but initially fought the urge because I’m most likely in the minority (once again).
Weighing 200+ pounds is no healthier a body image than weighing 98.
I am an African American woman and I have witnesses that will tell you that since 1990 I’ve been trying to be “thick” and just as hard as many women try to loose weight, I try to gain it and fail just as often. I’m slim, healthy, but to be honest most of MY people would call me skinny and unattractive. So I’ve had a complex for quite some time now.
Unrelated to my high metabolism is my high cholesterol, yes, the size 6 is pushing 200 [in cholesterol] and that’s not good. It’s not from all the food I eat in an attempt to have beautiful curves, it’s from stress. So I had to make a very touch decision to join a gym. Going to a gym means that my body would get smaller, I’m now a 4. . .
All I know is that I’ve never been accepted because I’m not like the norm, but I really don’t want to die young. I don’t believe that we are all supposed to be a size whatever; but I do know that a woman under 6′0″ is not supposed to weigh 200+. It’s just not healthy and even though we may glamorize it, it doesn’t make it right. Obesity leads to a lot of medical problems that require ($$) medicine and health care and that equates to higher insurance. Someone is making money off of us and I’m sure they won’t mind if we kill ourselves off. They know that we’ve already taught the next generation exactly what they need to know in order to keep the system running smoothly.
Obesity is no better than gangster rap, it’s just takes longer to kill.
Recently I had a check up, and I tipped the scales of 239 pounds. My Cholestral is high, and my BMI, is high. I am now working with a nutrtionist and eating better, walking more to help speed up this slow metabolism of mine.
I want to be healthy. I want to fit better in my clothes. I am comfortable with me, but I also know I need to make some lifestyle changes for the better.
I think it is important for us, to eat right and keep moving. excercise and eating heathy go hand in hand.