Is Thin In? Kalabari Culture and the Meaning of Fatness

Unfortunately society has taken physical appearance to a whole other level. The current ideal image aspires an aesthetic of thinness. Women want to be youthful, slim, athletic, and have a well-toned physique.There are cultures that differ from America’s society. The Kalabari in Nigeria, Africa does not think this way at all. It is actually the complete opposite. The ideal adult Kalabari female figure is “substantial and thick or plumpy.” This would be what they would call being “up to a woman.”

  

Interesting to know that there are different cultures that think differently about physique. Based off the surroundings and the community, this is how the “ideal” image is derived. For example, in Africa, an “ideal” American woman would not fit in this culture. The awareness of AIDS is high in demand in the country; therefore a thin woman would be stereotyped as being affected by AIDS.

It is hard to live in a society were you feel pressured to look a certain way, or to have carrots for a snack instead of chocolate cupcakes. 

We should love and appreciate ourselves no matter how we look. ~ Brenda

Skinny vs. Fat : An African Woman on the Politics of Feminine Beauty
Image Source: http://www.nairaland.com/806789/traditional-eastern-ijaw-attire-pictures

Is thin in? That is the age-old question every American girl asks herself. Today in America, most women desire thinness and are constantly thinking of new ways to become thinner. While most women equate thinness with happiness, there are some cultures around the word that do not believe in the idea of slimness.  The Kalabari tribe from Nigeria believes plumpness and curviness to be a sign of beauty. They believe that well-developed breasts and buttocks allow for a better fit of their traditional dress, wrappers. Wrappers are the main piece of clothing among the tribe, with both men and women wearing them. Understanding the body ideals of another culture, allows for a worldlier outlook on thinness. Maybe thin is in? But who’s to say fatness and plumpness are out? I think that being comfortable in your own skin, being healthy, and being able to rock any outfit you put on suppresses any ideal of being thin.  ~ Chelsea

Source: http://www.nairaland.com/806789/traditional-eastern-ijaw-attire-pictures/2

We, as women, are constantly pressured my society and the media to be thin because it is what is considered to be “beautiful” in our society.  However, although thin may be “in” in America, it is not the norm for other cultures around the world.  The Kalabari, an ethnic group from Nigeria, considered fatness or plumpness as a sign of beauty when it comes to the Kalabari women.  In the Kalabari culture, plumpness implies that a woman is fertile and it shows her reproductive capacity.  As a matter of fact, Kalabari women are even required to live in a “fattening hut” a couple months before marriage in order to get fat and plump for their man and are then sent back to the fattening hut after the birth of their firstborn.  Women are practically forced into gaining weight and although it is great that this culture appreciates bigger women, I do not agree with the idea of them shunning women for being thin not to mention how unhealthy it is for these women to pack on so much weight in such a short amount of time.  No person should have to change their body to fit the norm. Just like our culture shuns people for being bigger than a size 2, other women should not be shunned for being a size 2.  Every woman’s body is unique and all cultures need to learn to appreciate that.  There is no ideal universal body; beauty comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors and that’s what makes each of us who we are. . ~ Sandy 

Source:  http://timsymag.com/index.php/files/thumb/60/0

It’s interesting to know that every culture is unique and diverse. Each one has its own set of standards on what is considered beautiful. Just like the Kalabari tribe in Nigeria, another remote tribe in Uganda (known as the Hima tribe) believes that a full figure is considered attractive. For these Ugandans, having a plump wife is a “status symbol” and “a source of pride for men”. The Hima tribe values their women as they value their cattle, “the fatter, the better”. It is traditional for an upcoming bride to enter a “fattening hut” for over a course of a few months until she becomes fat. The word “fat” itself has a positive connotation to these Ugandans whereas in America it’s offensive. It’s funny how the American standard of beauty is the polar opposite of the Hima tribe’s. ~ Ashley

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