Placing the Burden on the Individual: Overweight and Obesity in African American and Mainstream Women's Magazines

Abstract

One third of all U.S. adult women, and more than 75% of African American women, are overweight or obese. This study examined overweight and obesity editorial content (N = 406) in three mainstream and three African American women's magazines between 1984 and 2004. Content analysis was used to determine which strategies were suggested regarding diet, overweight, and obesity, which components of social cognitive theory were offered (behavior, person, or environment), and whether or not there were differences in the genres. The results suggest that although a wide range of strategies were being offered, the vast majority were behavioral changes with an individual solution focus. Although African American and mainstream magazines suggested many of the same strategies, nearly half more frequently appeared in one or the other genre. Mainstream magazines were twice as likely to offer the limiting or eliminating of fast food or junk food, eating more protein, eating lower-fat foods, and eating smaller portions. African American magazines were much more likely to cover fad diets and to suggest readers rely on God or faith in their diet plans. The average number of strategies offered per article was significantly higher in mainstream than in African American magazines.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The first two authors contributed equally to this paper. This research was supported in part by a Families and Communities Together (FACT) grant from Michigan State University to the second author.

Notes

¹Some strategies contained more than one SCT component, such as formal diet programs, and therefore, the percentages do not sum to 100%.