Dear DOCTOR Owen:

I am a 35-year-old black female. I have remained fairly thin, while my whole family is obese. I went to a mostly white college where everyone seemed to be weight-conscious. While growing up, I never heard much about obesity. Are there any studies about African Americans’ eating habits compared to those of Caucasians’?

Black Bean

Dear “Bean”:

There have been numerous studies of black cultural eating habits, body image, social stigma (and lack thereof), economic issues, and other factors. Understanding and appreciating these differences between African Americans and Caucasians is very important in evaluating differences among all individuals. This is especially important in the United States and in mixed cultures where there is a constant intermingling of cultural preferences and habits. African American, Anglo American, Hispanic, Italian American, Jewish, German, Asian, and countless other cultural eating styles, recipes, foods, and even social interactions are merging at every junction.

The African American culture and cuisine are especially fascinating, as they merge African, French Colonial, Spanish, English, and Native American foods in their preparation. Enslaved in a white-dominated food environment, African Americans have not been restricted mentally or socially from experimenting and developing their own unique style of food preferences. In addition, African Americans’ size, weight, and overall appearance did not have to follow those of Caucasians, as they were separate social environments.

Generally speaking, African American men, women, and children are less concerned about their weight compared to the Caucasian or Asian American populations. Nor, as noted in studies of food choices, do African Americans worry as much about food content.

Virtually everyone under-reports the amount of calories he or she consumes. In every study to date, people have been uniformly wrong in estimating the amount of calories in food they have eaten and the amount needed to maintain their weight. People who diet, or restrain from overindulgence, for health or appearance reasons underestimate their caloric intake the most. Caucasian American women underestimate the most and try the hardest to restrain from caloric excesses. Women under the age of 30 are the most inaccurate.

As reported in the International Journal of Obesity, Vol. 24: 20–26, researchers at the University of Vermont looked at the food perceptions of surveyed African American men and women. They found that—compared to Caucasians—this group bought foods that are higher in fat content and fewer fruits and vegetables, and were less informed about “hidden” fat. Economic factors also played a role in food selection because higher-fat foods were less expensive than fresh produce. The researchers found that there was little effort to restrain fat among those interviewed, and reported that the subjects were simply not concerned about calorie or fat content as a whole. Most interesting, the calorie reporting of the group was much more accurate compared to Caucasian females or Caucasian males.

These results were similar to previous, less comprehensive studies of African Americans’ food choices. It seems that the less concern expressed about food or caloric intake, the more accurate the estimations of calories. There is almost a “reverse” psychology here: The more important the need to restrain calories for a perceived need, such as social acceptance or health, the more the need for delusion. In other words, some dieters need to lie to themselves in order to be happy—at least that is my interpretation.

I have been involved in Diet Therapy for more than 15 years. Obesity in our collective culture is as complex as it is fascinating. I am eternally grateful and appreciative of African American culinary contributions. Growing up in South Louisiana, where all ethnic groups contribute to the “good time,” I am especially privileged to have been the recipient of these culinary talents. Perhaps this is why I am so interested in obesity. Is it possible to “have your cake and eat it too”? Can good times and good health co-exist? The experience of South Louisiana for the past century has become the experience of the world—with TV and the Internet. Get ready, world!

Oops! I must go now. My restrained Caucasian female wife has just asked me if I wish to join my restrained son for crêpes and berries with champagne to complete a weekend we just spent in New Orleans. So much for restraint! Bon appetit.