Weight Satisfaction of Nigerian Women in Nigeria and Britain: Inter-Generational and Cross-Cultural Influences

Abstract

This study investigates intergenerational and cross-cultural aspects of body weight satisfaction in 103 female Yoruba students, 48 adult women in Western Nigeria and 68 Nigerian women living in Britain. The groups were compared on anthropometric parameters of height, body weight and desired weight. It was found, in line with predictions, that the students living in Nigeria had a lower current and desired body mass index (BMI), than the adult Nigerian group. The students also showed a discrepancy between their current and desired BMI which was greater than the adult sample although, in contrast to Western populations, neither group showed a marked overall dissatisfaction with their current BMI. The 68 Nigerian women living in Britain were matched pairwise for age, marital status and parity with 68 women from the Nigerian sample. Despite a similar current BMI the sample living in Britain showed significantly lower desired weight than their matched counterparts in Nigeria and significantly greater discrepancy between their current and desired BMI. These findings suggest that younger women in Nigeria may be moving towards a Western body image dissatisfaction which is already evident in their peers in Britain. The study also supports the contention that culture exposure may cause immigrants from cultures where thinness is not highly valued to adopt Western positive valuations of thinness.