Abstract
It has been assumed that the occurrence of eating disorders in American racial minority groups are rare. Indeed, whereas the cultural context may afford “protection” to the group, it does not necessarily protect specific individuals. Individuals within each racial/ethnic group are subject to the standards of the dominant culture, particularly when the culture-of-origin is devalued by the dominant culture. Social, familial, and individual factors which contribute to disorders eating symptomatology are discussed. Discussions of obstacles to detecting eating disorders and guidelines for developing more inclusive theory of and treatment of persons with eating disorders is included.
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Preparation of this manuscript was in part supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Grant 5T32 AA07455. Special thanks are extended to Don Wood for editorial assistance.
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Root, M.P.P. Disordered eating in women of color. Sex Roles 22, 525–536 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288168
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288168