Why are more African-American women obese than any other demographic segment? Why racism, of course!

That’s the suggestion of a new study by Boston University senior epidemiologist Julie Palmer, who is a coordinator of the “Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), which has been tracking the health of 59,000 African American women since 1995.”

“Women who report more experiences of racism have been shown to be more likely to become obese,” Palmer says. About 55 percent of study participants reported experiencing discrimination at work, according to a July 2012 BWHS newsletter. Palmer also found that participants who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods—where grocery stores are scarce, parks and sidewalks aren’t maintained, or crime is rampant—often gained weight or were obese.

Sara Noble of The Independent Sentinel comments:

People in our society are no longer responsible for their own behaviors. It’s always someone else’s fault and if the government throws enough money at it, they will help you believe it.

My own questions revolve around the issue of what kind of person sees racism everywhere. Just because someone interprets something as racism doesn’t necessarily mean that there was racism present. It might reveal a psychological inclination that could be reflected in eating, exercise, and other behavioral practices. Of course, I would not expect any government-funded study to ask questions like this.

Hat tip: iOwnTheWorld.com