Scholarly perspectives on obesity among black women.

There are a disproportionate number of Black women who are either overweight or obese. Health professionals who are overweight or obese were found to have less confidence in weight management practice. Studies show that overweight and obese nurses avoid the topic of obesity with their overweight and obese patients. This article describes the biological, psychological, social and cultural factors which may influence obesity in Black women. Specifically, this synthesis of the literature raises the question whether Black nurses with relevant health knowledge have different rates of obesity when compared to Black women that are not registered nurses.