In the Western world (and not only) women are constantly under pressure.

The media is promoting the image of anorexic, skinny women as being a beauty ideal, and every women dreams to lose weight in order to try and get close to that image.

But there are some countries that haven’t been influenced by the media.

The opposite

In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the situation is completely different. It’s is the mirror opposite of the West on questions of women’s weight.

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.

A 2001 government survey of 68,000 women found that one in five between ages 15 and 49 had been deliberately overfed. And nearly 70 percent — and even more among teenagers — said they did not regret it.

Altough this is also far from healthy, at least women here don’t have a psychological issues about their weight. The message “skinny is sexy” didn’t influence Mauritanian women too much.

In 2003, the women’s ministry mounted a slim-down campaign, wielding messages that were anything but subtle. One television and radio skit depicted a husband carting his fat wife around in a wheelbarrow. Another featured houseguests raiding the refrigerator because their host was too obese to get up to feed them. Doctors were recruited to explain health risks.

But messages spread slowly in the desert. Nearly three-fourths of Mauritanian women do not watch television, and an even greater share do not listen to the radio, said Ms. Haidy, the statistician.

Women are very sensitive about their weight and want to keep a good image, but the natural image of good doesn’t corespond to the image that the current television is promoting.

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What to do

If you’re reading this and you’re a woman and you don’t feel too comfortable in your skin, here are a few words that will help you feel better:

  • If you think you’re “fat” but your friends and other people tell you that you look ok, trust them. They are right.
  • Watch less TV. In Mauritania and other countries where women do not watch television, women aren’t obsessed about their weight.
  • It doesn’t really matter how your body looks. Someone else can just love you for who you are.
  • Weight isn’t really that important as the media tries to convince you.
  • Celebrities don’t look as good in the real world as they do in movies, posters or commercials. Hours of photoshop and armies of make-up artists make them look that way. And there’s the buzz about them which makes their (many) flaws nearly impossible to see.
  • Women are not here to just please men. The important thing is to be healthy.
  • Self-confidence and personality are way more attractive than a good looking body, and they also last longer.
  • Watch the video below from a man’s perspective. Which girl looks better?


I prefer the one in the mirror and I think that many of you would agree if I would say that skinny isn’t sexy.What’s important in the end is not your weight or the way you look. What’s important is to just be yourself and feel good about it!



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  • http://uglymailbox.com LindaF

    Is it wrong that I want to move to Mauritania now? JK.

    I hate the way the media focuses so much on weight. In the same issues you’ll see “Soandso, is she anorexic?!?!” and the a few pages over pictures of celebrities on the beach with “fat bellies”.

    It sends a mixed message to women, especially younger women that are already struggling with body image issues.

  • http://uglymailbox.com LindaF

    Is it wrong that I want to move to Mauritania now? JK.

    I hate the way the media focuses so much on weight. In the same issues you’ll see “Soandso, is she anorexic?!?!” and the a few pages over pictures of celebrities on the beach with “fat bellies”.

    It sends a mixed message to women, especially younger women that are already struggling with body image issues.

  • Rich Gilchrest

    Skinny is NOT sexy. I think the girl in the mirror pinching her inches could safely gain a few pounds :)

    I definitely agree about the celebrities. Few things are more disheartening than seeing someone you thought was beautiful in a bikini, only to be slightly disgusted by the lizardlike protrusions running down her spine, or the weird sallowness of skin being stretched across a bony hip.

  • http://armannd.com/ Titus-Armand

    Initially I wanted to include a picture of some celebrity in the post… good thing I didn’t do it though, the pics were truly scary. :)

  • Rich Gilchrest

    Skinny is NOT sexy. I think the girl in the mirror pinching her inches could safely gain a few pounds :)

    I definitely agree about the celebrities. Few things are more disheartening than seeing someone you thought was beautiful in a bikini, only to be slightly disgusted by the lizardlike protrusions running down her spine, or the weird sallowness of skin being stretched across a bony hip.

  • http://armannd.com/ Titus-Armand

    Initially I wanted to include a picture of some celebrity in the post… good thing I didn’t do it though, the pics were truly scary. :)

  • http://nutshelljournal.com/ V. Neely

    What I don’t get is, why do so many people automatically assume that a girl who’s skinny is starving herself or otherwise trying hard to be skinny? Some girls (and boys for that matter) are naturally that way, to an extent that it’s actually hard for them to fill out a bit. It seems to be more acceptable to pick on someone for being too skinny than for being overweight.

    Just saying, it works both ways. ;)

  • http://nutshelljournal.com/ V. Neely

    What I don’t get is, why do so many people automatically assume that a girl who’s skinny is starving herself or otherwise trying hard to be skinny? Some girls (and boys for that matter) are naturally that way, to an extent that it’s actually hard for them to fill out a bit. It seems to be more acceptable to pick on someone for being too skinny than for being overweight.

    Just saying, it works both ways. ;)

  • C. B

    Skinny is hot. You can’t escape it… think about male sexual fantasies, are they fantasising about the lumpy chick with the stretch marks and two chins, or the long legged, slim beauty with the big eyes and pouty lips?
    Grow up people! Most people are not naturally sexy, which is why losing weight helps, it makes up for the fact that their face is a little bit icky.

  • C. B

    Skinny is hot. You can’t escape it… think about male sexual fantasies, are they fantasising about the lumpy chick with the stretch marks and two chins, or the long legged, slim beauty with the big eyes and pouty lips?
    Grow up people! Most people are not naturally sexy, which is why losing weight helps, it makes up for the fact that their face is a little bit icky.

  • Merinda

    I’m naturally very slim (5’6” and about 100 lbs). I have never gone on a diet or tried to lose weight. I have been skinny my whole life, I have terrible body issues. I’m constantly worried that people think I’m too skinny, and I have been called anorexic by people who don’t even know me. People just can’t seem to accept the fact that some people are naturally skinny, and that’s not their fault, any more than is the weight of a naturally chunky person. I desperately wish I could have curves, because I’m so constantly being told–both by the media and people I know–that “real women have curves”, “skinny is not sexy”, and “men aren’t attracted to bony women”. These messages, which I have been hearing for as long as I can remember, have caused hurt and body issues that will probably be with me for the rest of my life. And I can’t be the only girl out there who feels this way and is being so damaged by this prevelant anti-skinny message. So when you’re tempted to say something hurtful or deragatory about skinny people, remember that you could really damage someone for the rest of their life.

  • Merinda

    I’m naturally very slim (5’6” and about 100 lbs). I have never gone on a diet or tried to lose weight. I have been skinny my whole life, I have terrible body issues. I’m constantly worried that people think I’m too skinny, and I have been called anorexic by people who don’t even know me. People just can’t seem to accept the fact that some people are naturally skinny, and that’s not their fault, any more than is the weight of a naturally chunky person. I desperately wish I could have curves, because I’m so constantly being told–both by the media and people I know–that “real women have curves”, “skinny is not sexy”, and “men aren’t attracted to bony women”. These messages, which I have been hearing for as long as I can remember, have caused hurt and body issues that will probably be with me for the rest of my life. And I can’t be the only girl out there who feels this way and is being so damaged by this prevelant anti-skinny message. So when you’re tempted to say something hurtful or deragatory about skinny people, remember that you could really damage someone for the rest of their life.

  • victoria

    It’s so true that somepeople are just naturally skinny! I hate hearing fat people tearing slim women down! I was always a slender girl and when I became a teenager I gained weight cause I was trying to fit in with thick girls. People kept telling me I was too skinny but then I gained too much weight and became almost fat! Then people kept saying how fat I got! THEN! I finally lost that weight and now Im slim again and love it. Now people say I need to thicken up cause its trendy now to be thick. Well, Im not changing for anyone this time. Its all about loving yourself and being true to yourself!

  • victoria

    It’s so true that somepeople are just naturally skinny! I hate hearing fat people tearing slim women down! I was always a slender girl and when I became a teenager I gained weight cause I was trying to fit in with thick girls. People kept telling me I was too skinny but then I gained too much weight and became almost fat! Then people kept saying how fat I got! THEN! I finally lost that weight and now Im slim again and love it. Now people say I need to thicken up cause its trendy now to be thick. Well, Im not changing for anyone this time. Its all about loving yourself and being true to yourself!

  • lily

    For different reasons, I’m annoyed by the same thing. I’m just average- not skinny or curvy and I feel like I’m no one’s type. I could never get curvy without getting fat, and I couldn’t get skinny without starving myself. But honestly, I would kill for your body. I’m sure you’re beautiful. I’m 5’1 100 lbs and would love to be the same weight stretched out 5 inches! Know that if people criticize me, there will always be people like me walking down the street dying to have your legs and length.

  • kidmayhem87

    Being ultra skinny scares me. Those girls on the catwalk(well most of them) Look ill and malnourished. I am 5″7 and I am 150lbs. I still think thats a bit big, but evryone assures me it is due to my muscly build. But that raises another question, is muscly and toned sexy?

  • http://armannd.com/ Titus-Armand

    Attitude has a lot (to be read: A LOT) to do with attractiveness. Some girls have great bodies but their insecurities take a great deal away from them, while others look ‘normal’ but are perceived by everyone as much more attractive. That aside though, it’s a subjective matter in the end. In my book though, muscly and toned is definitely sexy. :)