Durban - Research into what urban black high schoolboys prefer when it comes to the body size of women earned University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) student, Primrose Gcinani Manyathi a master of science in dietetics degree.
Manyathi received her degree at a graduation ceremony on the UKZN Westville campus on Thursday. With her research, she aimed to establish how some male preferences in body weight are leading to a high prevalence of obesity among urban black South African women.
Manyathi examined the preferences of boys when their mothers, sisters, girlfriends and future wives were involved, identifying the body mass index (BMI) that represents these choices.
“The causes of obesity are complex and interrelated,” said Manyathi. “Though some of the causes have been researched in South Africa, not enough researchers have looked at how the black male preference for particular female body shapes influenced this prevalence.”
Her findings indicated that urban black schoolboys preferred a normal BMI for their sisters because of health reasons, but their weight preference for girlfriends or future wives changed. They went for overweight women "with sex appeal" as the predominant reason for their choice.
Boys from one school preferred their mothers to have a normal BMI as it symbolised health, while scholars from another school preferred their mothers to be obese as they thought that was a healthy shape.
Manyathi said the results required further investigation among black men during later stages of their lives to get the full picture of body size and preferences.
Manyathi, who has always been interested in science and food, attended Vryheid Comprehensive Secondary School. She enrolled in UKZN’s science foundation programme, which, she said, gave her insight into how the university functioned before she was fully accepted into the dietetics programme.
During her graduation Manyathi thanked God for providing her with parents who believed in sending their daughters to school, and for giving her sisters she could look up to - two of whom have master’s degrees in different disciplines.
She also thanked her supportive and objective supervisor, Dr Susanna Kassier.
Manyathi plans to enroll for a PhD in food security next year.