A poll has found that although black women are heavier than their white counterparts, they report having appreciably higher levels of self-esteem

Although 41% of average-sized or thin white women report having high self-esteem, that figure was 66% among black women considered by government standards to be overweight or obese. According to a Post-Kaiser poll, 28% of black women say that being physically attractive is “very important,” compared with 11% of white women. White women were more likely than black women to say being attractive was “somewhat important.” In the Post-Kaiser survey, 90% of black women say that living a healthful lifestyle is very important to them, outranking religion, career, marriage and other priorities. Yet two-thirds report eating at fast-food restaurants at least once a week, and just more than half cook dinner at home on a regular basis. In 2009, black women had an obesity rate of of almost 43%, compared with 25% for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As a result, African American women suffer from higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other serious health problems.