Research has shown that Caucasian girls and women appear to experience

Research has shown that Caucasian girls and women appear to experience more pressure to be physically thin than do African American girls and women. The most likely reason for this varia-tion in attitude is the:

1. Caucasian culture values physical thinness
2. African American culture does not value physical thinness
3. Caucasian girls and women are genetically programmed for physical thinness
4. African American girls and women are not genetically programmed for physical thinness

ANSWER

ANS: 2
Culture and society dictate the accepted norms of body image and influence one’s attitudes (Figure 27-2). Racial and ethnic background plays an integral role in body satisfaction in adoles-cent girls as reflected in the higher incidence of body satisfaction among African American girls compared to Caucasian girls (Kelly and others, 2005). Further, African American girls described more favorable views about physical appearance, reported less social pressure for thinness, and exhibited less tendency to base self-esteem on body image than did Caucasian girls (White and others, 2003). The value placed on thinness by the African American culture would not influence the Caucasian girl or woman, and the options related to genetics are not proven.