Thick and proud

Many Latina teens like their curvy bodies

Here is another cultural tidbit for you to consider when “trying to think Hispanic thoughts”. This article posted on August 12, 2004 by Regina Medina of the Philadelphia Daily News, gives you a glimpse into the way Latina young women view their bodies. As the article mentions, within the Hispanic culture skinniness is related with poverty and all the maladies it encompasses. So a full figure is a sign of healthiness and wealth. Yes, we can take it a little too far… Still, both extremes of the weight scale are seen more often in the United States in comparison to most of Latin America; the higher end of the scale applies for all ethnicities, Latinos included.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

"I don't want to be skinny. I just like to be the way I am," said Alisa Barreto, 15, who will be a junior this fall. She described herself as "not too skinny, not too thick, average in all the right places."

Perhaps it's the carb-heavy foods Latinos tend to eat - beans, rice, corn and plantains - that contribute to the round shape of many women (and men) in the community.

Perhaps it's tradition: In some Latin American countries, being thin has been equated with poverty.

But it's apparent that the thin-is-in mentality so prevalent among American women of European descent has failed to find a pod among some teenage segments of the growing U.S. Latina population.

On the down side, health advocates warn that Hispanic women are at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes if they maintain unhealthy weights. They say cultural values make it harder to get positive messages about physical fitness and healthy eating to the young Latina demographic.

And not all Latina teens are happy with what many call their "Coca-Cola bottle" shapes.

Barreto has a cousin who's been feeling insecure about her body lately. Her advice? "Don't worry about what other people say. You are your own person. You are the one in charge of your body."

Can anyone say, "Thank you, J.Lo?"

The star, worshipped by many young Latinas, does reinforce the curvy Latina image. Breaking Hollywood type with her pear shape, Lopez has affirmed the love many teens had for their sizes.

But the celebration of a womanly shape did not begin with Jennifer Lopez, explained Sandra Andino, who begins her new job Monday as education director for the artistic nonprofit group Taller Puertorriqueño.

"In Latin America and the Caribbean, the aesthetic of beauty is a woman who is curvaceous," Andino said. "A woman who has curves, and especially a woman with big breasts and a big behind."

How do Latina teens stay positive about their figures in today's culture of the skinny? One reason: Their male counterparts prefer girls with curves.

Read the complete article at the Philadelphia Daily News

Comments

[russ howard]

There's nothing more feminine than a girl with a pear-shaped figure.