Mauritania: Where Being FAT is Beautiful!!!

When I first heard about a Country that ENCOURAGES its women to be FAT, i thought 'Gee, I wonder if I can move there! And its not just being a bit chubby or having a muffin top. 'To men here, fat is sexy. And in this patriarchal region, many Mauritanian women do everything possible - and have everything possible done to them - to put on pounds'. The men in this country LOVE women with chunks and chunks of fat-its the absolute opposite of the western notion of what is beautiful. Being OBESE is revered in this Country but there is a horrific story of whats expected of Mauritanian women.

Girls as young as 7 years old are force fed ('gavage') (all day) high fat foods (Such as dates, cous cous and camels milk) so they begin the process of being fattened up.There are even 'farms' you can send your children to, like a fat farm-for them to gain weight. A lady that runs a 'farm' said: "I make them do this all morning. Then they have a rest. In the afternoon we start again. We do this three times a day - the morning, the afternoon and the evening." .Girls as young as 5 and as old as 19 have to drink up to five gallons of fat-rich camel’s or cow’s milk daily, aiming for silvery stretch marks on their upper arms. If a girl refused or vomited, the village weight-gain specialist might squeeze her foot between sticks, pull her ear, pinch her inner thigh, bend her finger backward or force her to drink her own vomit'. Drugs are also sold (many of them for animals) for women to gain weight.

There are several factors that influence the cultural construct of what is beautiful. Traditionally, the people lived in the desert so having a plump daughter or wife was a sign of status, wealth and kindness. Also, once a girl starts the fattening up process she will often get her period sooner which means she can be married off.

Although there is a huge push to educate people in the country that force feeding is a form of abuse, its a long and slow road to changing these cultural perceptions of beauty.Many women can now be seen (often with their veils hiding their face for fear that someone would see them....our version of being caught at an all you can eat buffet perhaps????) exercising around the local stadium.