Culture Affects Perception of Weight. Many believed
their communities protect women from the media pressure
to be thin. “I think that as black women, we have been
brought up to think that big is beautiful.” Another added,
“Yes, most of us want some kind of thickness.” “We don’t
want to be skin and bones like them [white women]. For
them, a size 8 means they are fat, but for us it means that we
look good.” “They have the luxury of going to the gym. We
have to work two jobs.”