Obesity & beauty

Hi Guys, Thought you might an article in todays NY Times of interest. It's about the practice of force feeding young girls in Mauritania because plump and obese women are considered most attractive. What I found intriguing is yet another clear example of the power of cultural expectations. In this case, it's how difficult it is for some women to resist the cultural ideal of plumpness--the reverse of our culture's ideal of thinness. For Mauritanian guys, skinny is in--big (heavy) guys are seen as weak, unmanly. The title of the article is In Mauritania, Seeking to End an Overfed Ideal. Here is the link, but I'm not sure it'll work. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/world/africa/04mauritania.html?

Hi Doug,

It's wild how cultural expectations differ. Here in Japan, people are naturally getting more obese - I can  see a big difference about every three years. What is even more worrisome is that sleeping as a hobby has gotten really big here and people are the least physcially active of any developed nation. Just goes to show that,  in terms of customs and habits for entire nations or even families or individuals that anything is possible!

Best Wishes,

Dave 

Sleeping as a hobby?  Wow, never heard of that before, but you know what, my teenage daughter would be the champ.. !  She needs a nap after everything!! Dale