Racialized Body Dissatisfaction in Black Women: Development of the Black Feminist Model of Body Image

Body image has predominantly been examined among young White women. As a result, the guiding theories in this area of study are based on implicit assumptions that this population’s experience is normative. These assumptions include thinness as the ideal body type and the lack of consideration of body shape, skin tone, and hair texture in body image. As a result, research examining body image among Black women has been limited by using theoretical constructs that do not fully capture the lived experiences of this population. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the racialized beauty aesthetic in Black women’s body image. Eight focus groups were conducted with 30 Black women aged 18–29 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 25-kg/m2. Focus groups used a semi-structured interview guide to assess race, beauty ideals, pressures to meet the beauty ideals, and the social costs and benefits of obtaining the ideals. We used a constructivist grounded theory approach to develop a conceptual model. This method's steps include initial, focused, and theoretical coding. Results indicated that the standardization of Eurocentric beauty standards resulted in the stigmatization and devaluation of Black women based on appearance. Participants described being stigmatized on the basis of their appearance and feeling devalued due to the prevalence of negative stereotypes about Black women’s appearance and behavior. Experiences of gendered racism resulted in racialized body dissatisfaction. Participants coped with these experiences by engaging in shifting behaviors to reduce the appearance of stigmatizing marks or by rejecting normative Whiteness. Both coping methods came with costs and benefits; participants expressed that they felt they were in a no-win situation, which had adverse health consequences. These findings resulted in the development of the Black Feminist Model of Body Image. Consideration of Black women’s body image in the context of their intersectional marginalized identities highlights how Eurocentric beauty standards are used to perpetuate the stigmatization of Black women. This work implies that efforts to improve the health of Black women must seriously consider the role of body image and racialized body dissatisfaction on their mental and physical health. Body image has mainly been studied in young White women, and body dissatisfaction has been understood as the lack of meeting the beauty ideal of being thin. However, this definition of body dissatisfaction did not capture Black women’s experiences. In this study, we conducted 8 focus groups with thirty Black women to explore how their racial identity influenced their body image. We found that Black women were often criticized and mistreated due to physical appearance attributes such as hair texture, skin tone, and body shape. As a result, some took actions to modify their appearance to blend in better with White women, which helped them in work and school environments but led to them feeling like they were not being authentic. Others chose to embrace their appearance differences but were at a disadvantage in predominantly White environments. All the participants reported that having to navigate these issues on a daily basis had a negative influence on their mental and physical health.