Body Image Gap Between White and Black Women May Be Narrowing

The gap in body image that has long thought to exist between black and white American women may be narrowing in one respect: dissatisfaction with weight.

A University of Indiana meta-analysis of more than 50 studies dating back to 1966 shows that overall, the two groups are showing increasingly similar levels of satisfaction with their weight. While some research suggests that this may be because white women are becoming more satisfied with their bodies, the authors caution that it may in fact signal growing dissatisfaction among black women.

Such findings would contradict popularly held notions about body image, eating disorders and ethnicity, noted lead author Alan Roberts:

"There has been a widespread belief among clinicians that black women simply don't develop eating disorders, and they have proceeded clinically along this line, dismissing the possibility for black women...The findings from this study suggest it may no longer be acceptable to make assumptions on body dissatisfaction based on ethnicity."

Read more: Body image and ethnicity: more complicated than once thought

ABSTRACT: Are Black-White Differences in Females' Body Dissatisfaction Decreasing? A Meta-Analytic Review.