TASK #2: Looking back at the materials you focused on for homework, please explore the black ideal of beauty and the struggles it brings along for African-American women. Connect your findings to the way weight and beauty issues are dealt with in the film Precious. More information on obesity among the black community can be found below.

 

Many coloured women use skin-lightening creams. They want to brighten the tone of their face and to be more excepted in society.But the creams include prescription-strength steroids which damage the skin.

 

Another beauty ideal is to be obese. 4 out of 5 African-American women are overweight or obese. Although studies show a strong tendency to deem larger body sizes as acceptable, particularly for women. It is even more alarming that some of these women are making a choice to live at an unhealthy weight, to be accepted.

To accomplish the black ideal of beauty they take many risks. The skin-ligthening creams have some adverse effects:

  • skin becomes very thin
  • capillaries become visible
  • acne

Also the obesity has some risks.

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • high blood pressure