[ANOther]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6904640.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3291271.stm

In the West, a woman getting ready for her wedding will likely go to a fat farm to lose 20 #

In Africa, a bride-to-be will often go to a fattening house to put on 30 + #

(And yes I know, in some traditional cultures "fat -> abundance/wealth -> something to tide you over through the winter months when crops aren't growing = a good thing", but traditional societies are increasingly getting exposure to the same junk food that industrialized societies get; and fat is fat no matter who you are)

[phantastica]

It'll be interesting to see how western media affects these traditions. While sometimes their fattening practices seem unhealthy, it's a little refreshing to think of fleshy as desirable in a modern culture.