The relationship between body size and depressed mood - Findings from a sample of African American middle school girls

The relationship between body weight and depression among adolescent females has been the subject of considerable attention from researchers. The risk of experiencing this distress, however, is not equally distributed across members of all racial groups. African American girls are generally more satisfied with their bodies and thus may be less vulnerable to experiencing depression as a result of weight concerns. Several scholars have suggested that membership in African American culture provides social resources that protect Black females from experiencing high levels of weight-based psychological distress. The authors examine the relationship between body size and depression and the potentially moderating role of African American culture using data from the Family and Community Health Study. Assessing a cohort of 343 African American girls ages 12 to 14, the authors found support for a link between weight and depression. There was no evidence that exposure to African American culture moderated this relationship.