Women of Color and Eating Disorders

How is it different for women of color?

Eating disorders among college women of color are often associated with very complex social status in the United States. Whether a woman of color is racially distinct, ethnically distinct, or comes from another country -- to the extent she is a minority, her experience in US society at large will be influenced by all the ramifications and implications of being "different." For many women of color, it is this difference that makes them subject to racism.

The challenges of being a student of color

Students of color will commonly have some of the following experiences -- experiences which are both stressful and not typically felt by white students:

* Isolation
* The "fishbowl" effect of feeling conspicuous and much observed
* Acts and attitudes of prejudice and discrimination against them
* Being the target of stereotypes
* The pressure to acculturate (to modify their cultural identification and practices)

These issues may cause ongoing and considerable distress that can show up in problems with eating or body image concerns.

Conflicting cultural standards for beauty and acceptance

The fact that many women of color are bicultural (meaning that they carry in them the influences and identifications of two different cultures) can complicate and stress their personal experience even more. A common trigger for eating disorders in a woman of color is conflicting cultural standards for beauty and acceptance. Your culture of origin, or the culture with which you mainly identify, may hold one set of standards for beauty; but outside of that environment, you are met with another set of standards altogether. You may have been very pleased with your full-figured body, which always seemed attractive in your world; yet now you are finding that thin and muscular is prized, while soft and round is criticized. You may feel you should change how you look--whether or not your body is actually suited to a different shape. Soon you may find your eating behavior has become disrupted and unnatural because you are going against your own natural inclinations.

Internalization of harmful messages

Ideas of beauty that don't fit the norm are often put down by people who can't relate to them and instead see them as strange. Women commonly internalize this as a devaluing of their images and ideals of attractiveness. Preferences which normally have brought you pride and a feeling of being appreciated, may become something you feel embarrassment about. If you lack sufficient validation of your own culture's ideas of beauty, your social identity (that based on culture, race, ethnicity), and even your sense of self, may be eroded. This may put you at risk for eating concerns.

Women of color who are most vulnerable to developing eating disorders

* Those who are or have been separated from their primary cultural group for a significant amount of time
* Foster children reared by white mothers
* Those acclimating to a different culture
* Those with a eurocentric/dominant culture perception of beauty and attractiveness

Keys to recovery

* Awareness of encountering the above social stressors and related emotional pressures which impact body image and eating
* Maintaining or establishing a positive connection to one's culture of origin
* Developing healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress
* Locating reliable nutritional information relevant to college life
* Talking with other supportive peers and/or a professional who can give support

Adapted from the Boston College Eating Awareness Team
Written by Boston College Counseling Services