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When Does Thick Equal Fat?

Monday Apr 13, 2009 – By Sky Obercam

IE141-020 In our community, we have a very deep appreciation for curves and a little “meat on the bones.” But we still seem to lack clarity around the issue of Thick vs. Fat. Countless jokes have been told about the matter, and it’s an interesting debate. Do the two weight classes even over lap? An amusing piece by Darryl James explains the male perspective on the matter. In his words:

“I remember in the late 1980’s when Black men first started using the word “thick” to define a woman with ample bottom and/or breasts. We knew what we were describing and it was more about T & A than the result of too many Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Moo-Moos and Cow-Cows.

We also knew that ‘healthy’ was a term reserved for women with a little meat on their bones. They really were considered healthy because they ate regular meals (that they often cooked at home) and had beautiful bountiful bodies to show for it. They were proportionate and anything but obese.”

Ok, fair enough, but dig the follow up:

Albeit that sounds like a pretty chauvinistic opinion, it’s one worth examining. For one thing, who’s to say that men haven’t grasped onto the term “thick” to compensate for an insecure fondness for larger women? I digress…

Scientifically speaking, the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator is an ideal tool to determine the difference between being a brick house, and just a plain old house. Your BMI is determined by a special mechanism that uses your height and weight to determine your category. The continuum spans from the grossly under-weight, to the massively overweight.

With the increase of obesity in the US, perhaps James may have a point. Talk of enlarging seat sizes on buses and trains can lead one to think that there is a push to normalize massive corpulence. At the same time, one could see it as an ‘evolved’ societal shift that recognizes that we are not all meant to be exact cookie cut outs of one another.

So putting the theory to the test, would it be safe to say that Serena Williams = thick and Monique = fat? What category does Queen Latifah fall under? And how about Jennifer Hudson? The BMI may be a helpful tool for some, but we tend to use our own cultural values as a determining factor for such matters.

At any rate, the thick vs. fat debate rages on – between men and women alike. What do you think, Clutchette’s?

Harlem Chic says:

April 13, 2009 at 2:24 pm

This should start some awesome dialogue. Yes. We do have a penchant for using thick when we’re really overweight and out of shape. There is curvy sexy fat and then there’s carrot tops, apple shapes and people who know darn well they need to shed some pounds. I do think that some of us have higher bone density but for the most part we need to own up to what being overweight really means.

I think there is a twinge of denial when it comes to sisters and our weight.

↑ Reply

d says:

April 13, 2009 at 2:41 pm

This obsession with being the size of a model has gotten out of control. On the other hand, the lack of exercise and balanced eating has gotten out of control. Getting winded from walking up a flight of stairs is NOT a cute look for a “skinny” or “fat” person. Having a “high metabolism” does not justify a diet of food that is high in sodium, fried, or covered in butter/cheese.

Also, comparing Serena Williams to Monique, Jennifer, and Queen Latifah is not logical. Serena is a highly-trained athlete while these other women are not. Heck, you can’t even compare her figure to the average woman because the average woman is not as active. However, she is proof that being physically fit does not mean fitting into size 4 jeans.

Do I think Monique needed to loose some weight? Yes
Do I think she should be as thin as Kelly Rowland? NO WAY!!!

A healthy weight is a gray area. It’s sad that it’s become so black and white.

Two words: Star Jones.
yuck!

Dnelly says:

April 13, 2009 at 3:39 pm

I think as women we are in denial when it comes to weight regardless of being too big or too skinny. We look at TV and Mags and try to conform to those images and not try to find our own Healthy weight. I think we should all strive to be healthy and in shape. We shouldn’t just think because we are “Thick” that we are ok. Especially when your at risk for High blood pressure, diabeities and other life threathening diseases

Karen says:

April 13, 2009 at 4:42 pm

This will always be a very debatable topic. I am a thick woman. For a long time I have struggle with this issue. I am thick or just over weight? At the age of 34, I would like to consider myself thick but also acknowledge that I am slightly over weight, and because of it – I have health issues. I am currently working to bring my weight down without losing my curves.

So for me, I love being thick. But I want to bring it to a level where its healthy.

Lish says:

April 13, 2009 at 9:10 pm

you ladies all made valid points. I am a Public health major and I can not completely agree with the BMI chart. I studied it but to me the values are still based on European sizes as is everything else.

April 13, 2009 at 9:11 pm

I hope this time everyone will be respectful when discussing this matter because we need positive and honest opinions not bashing.

Mike says:

April 13, 2009 at 10:48 pm

The BMI chart is misleading and subject to change so I dont think it is something to be taken seriously.

As for thick I always considered it to mean top, bottom or both, heavy.

As long as the stomach didnt extend pass those two you were considered thick, hell now all women use the term so it has no value now.

April 14, 2009 at 12:24 pm

It’s funny cause on the low Ms. Monique has been on the QT about being fat, glamourous and happy. She’s been riding the skinny minnie train for a minute now…no more skinny b*tches are evil and all that popping trash she used to talk. Star Jones, and Monique might not have been faking the funk on being big and proud sisters; but they are most definitely humming a different tune. After a while you can rally all the big sisters up you want; but when the smoke clears health is the truth and only truth that matters.

loryn says:

April 14, 2009 at 2:02 pm

no, fat is not the same thing as thick…i agree with Harlem Chic that it should be a about overall health not about the definition/measure for what is considered “beautiful.”

overall though yes–thick is more so the general term of having an ample butt, breasts, thighs, etc. but not necessarily fat or obese…again, we should redirect the discussion to focus on health and what a healthy body really is.

MSB says:

April 15, 2009 at 10:48 am

Fat v Thick……Everyone is going to have their own definition for those terms. Those are words and do not define a person. People priority should be having an healthy lifestyle….period. It is not about your outer appearance…..it is about your internal appearance. This is what matters at the end of the day. There are many fuller body size women who work out and eat well balanced meals. It is hilarious how people say you should not cast judgment, but people cast judgment towards “fat” people all the time.
OBESITY is not an EPIDEMIC…UNHEALTHY LIVING IS!!!!!

If you are thick or fat, (whateva you want to call it),does not mean you are unhealthy and going to die in the next few years. Death does not discriminate; When your time is up, then it is up…point, blank, period. Yes, not having an well balanced “diet” does put you at risk for many health conditions….just like not protecting yourself during sexual intercourse. Or drinking while driving….even better, being in an abusive relationship..knowing it is not healthy for you. It is all the same thing. Being unhealthy MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY & PHYSICALLY (Internal)is not GOOD for ANYONE.

So please think about what you say before you say it.

To my fabulous “big” ladies and children: Loving yourself first it most important regardless of how you look and where you are in life, when you love yourself you do good for yourself.

Like someone said: “….women and men need to treat their bodies more like friends instead of enemies, therefore their bodies will adjust accordingly…” -anonymous

I so agree :) Happy Living!!!

Malacyne says:

April 16, 2009 at 5:05 pm

I think there’s a lingering sense of denial when it comes to obesity in black people. When your arteries are being squeezed shut by fat plaques, you have a problem. When your start developing resistance or overwhelming your body’s own blood-sugar balancing mechanisms, you have a problem. When your heart is struggling to squeeze blood around your body, you have a problem. All these pathologies hit black people early and hard. True body fat is measured by water displacing scales or complicated devices – stuff not available to the average person. On average women should have 18- 22% body fat beyond that, the above problems start to develop at a rapidly increasing pattern. The BMI measured via water displacement is very accurate. The tape-measure method and the caliper method has been debunked as inaccurate only giving general BMI with gross margin of errors. Muscle weighs more than fat, so only relying on a numerical weight is also erroneous. Most athletes (15% and under to an amazing 8%) would be considered obese. Stop worrying about the size, ladies. You can be a size 0 and be poised for a stroke, heart-attack and/or diabetes moreso than that thick size 14 girl.

b- says:

April 17, 2009 at 1:53 pm

It just bothers me when ‘unhealthy’ people (in that harsh tone) are like, “I love me just the way I am, and no one can tell me any different.” “I’m beautiful just the way I am.” I always question who they’re trying to convince…themselves? -it’s that whole denial piece.
The thing is: it is SO not about your outer appearance like various ppl. mentioned above. I am on the smaller side, but I am not denying the fact that I could/should be WAY more healthy. Even smaller people have to be careful that they don’t let their ‘fast metabolisms’ lead them to the same problems that overweight people face.
We all need to stop being in denial. Get to a place of mental health (where you face/embrace the facts) then the physical health piece should follow, which can lead you to the ultimate place of being completely okay and at peace with yourself.

blessedinla says:

June 16, 2009 at 6:14 pm

Check this health article out from the Washington Post–

Is BMI Scale Weighted Against African Americans?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009; Page HE02

The body mass index (BMI) formula that is widely used to determine body fat may not be accurate for non-Caucasians, a study published last week in the British Journal of Nutrition found.

“This scale was created years ago and is based on Caucasian men and women,” said Molly Bray, one of the study’s researchers and an associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “It doesn’t take into account differences in body composition between genders, race/ethnicity groups and across the life span.”

Bray and her colleagues are using another method, a low-dose X-ray called DXA, to estimate bone density, lean mass and fat mass.

Based on the DXA reading, the researchers found that an African American woman, for example, may not be overweight or obese even though the BMI formula, which considers a person’s height and weight, indicates that she is.

“Right now non-Hispanic white women are not considered obese until they have a BMI of 30 or above,” said Bray. “For African American women the number to cross is around 32.” Women in some other racial and ethnic groups were considered obese even if their BMI number was below 30.

The results were similar in men.

The discrepancies, Bray said, are due to variations in bone mineral content, hydration state and the density of lean mass in different ethnic groups.

– Sindya N. Bhanoo