Men of the Bodi (Me en) tribe in the Omo valley – Ethiopia always want to be fat and plump.

All because they consider plump to be beautiful, and men must have big bellies and sagging breasts to be attractive. Those who are skinny will not be noticed. This is understandable, because they live in a dry desert, skinny will not survive without health.

And women here have to rely on their husbands to have strength and a bit of figure. So the women compete to fatten up their children and grandchildren.

The food and drinks here for fattening are all oily, high in protein and especially a mixture of fresh milk and warm blood taken from cattle.

The Bodi people mainly raise cattle for this purpose.


Occasionally, they would prick the animal’s veins to extract blood to “feed the people”. Its wounds would later be patched with mud. Because of the high demand, each day, a Bodi male had to drink a lot of milk (2 liters of milk/day).

Every 6 months or so, a number of unmarried young men will be “chosen” by their families or villages so that they don’t have to do anything but eat and sleep, and then on their period, the Kael Festival of the nation, they will come out to compete to see who is the heaviest.

After six months of not stepping foot outside the door, every young man was looked at with curiosity and anticipation. Any fat boy who appeared was warmly welcomed, while the skinny one was ignored by the public.

Before the debut, to impress, mainly to please the audience to get high scores, each contestant used white clay, charcoal ash and some plants to paint themselves beautifully. They also wore many beads, earrings, then went to the ground where the ceremony was held to impress.

Their earrings are very big, like plates, but the biggest thing on their body is their belly. And to emphasize the belly, the family will help the young man tie a few belts around it, the more belts the more attractive. They also help paint and smear cow dung on the young man’s body to make it “fragrant” and shiny.

The Bodi people believe that the cow is a sacred animal, precious and respected. After the fat champion is chosen, the whole village will slaughter a cow to entertain and award the prize.


Bodi dignitaries and elders would examine the blood and stomach of the animal to predict the winner’s future based on folk beliefs. The boys would then return home, continue their normal lives for the remaining six months, and gradually lose their big bellies.

Because life is inherently difficult and poor and the title of fat will stick with a person for life, no matter how skinny and weak the young man who achieves the title is later, he will still be respected by everyone for life.

The Bodi are a nomadic and farming minority of about 1,000 people. Every year, in early June, on the occasion of Kael, the Fat Man’s Day, they hold a competition to see who is the fattest. The 14 clans select the fattest men from their clans to compete.

Contestants must be single, unmarried, and have never had a relationship. The competition lasts from morning to afternoon in the sweltering African sun to choose the champion. A Bodi champion can weigh up to 200 kg or more.