Having a large waist is a lifelong dream for every child in the Bodi tribe, and the person with the biggest belly will be honored by the villagers for the rest of their life.
Men living in the Bodi tribe (also known as Me’en) in the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia compete to be the fattest during the Ka’el festival.
Here, unlike the popular trends of the modern world, slimness is not idealized; instead, obesity is celebrated. Throughout the history of the Bodi tribe, large and stout men are seen as symbols of wealth, power, and honor.
In contrast to most cultures around the world, where vegetables, fruits, and other nutritional sources play significant roles in the diet, in the Bodi tribe, such foods are nearly absent from daily menus. From birth to adulthood, the Bodi people primarily thrive on nutrition from fresh cow’s blood, fresh milk, and beef and mutton. Notably, fresh cow’s blood serves as the main source of nutrition, providing protein, vitamins, and trace elements for the body.
Each day, fresh cow’s blood is an essential food for any Bodi person. Every morning, villagers make a small incision on the cow’s neck to draw blood without harming the animal, then mix the blood with fresh milk to create a nutritious meal for the entire family. This unique diet has allowed the Bodi people to develop a large, healthy physique without the need for vegetables or other common foods.
The Bodi tribe lives in a remote valley in Ethiopia. Each year, the tribe organizes the Kael festival (fat competition) as a New Year celebration ritual. Each family sends an unmarried man to participate in the “belly-growing” challenge lasting six months. During this time, they must gain weight by consuming cow’s blood and fresh milk while completely abstaining from “intimacy.” The man with the largest belly will be crowned the most attractive, appealing to all women in the tribe.
French photographer Eric Lafforgue visited the Bodi tribe to capture this unique experience. He noted: “Cows are sacred animals to the people, so they are not killed. The cow is only slightly cut at the vein to draw blood, which is then sealed with clay.”
Young men participating in the festival stay in separate huts. Women in the tribe are tasked with caring for the boys by bringing wine, milk, and cow’s blood in bowls or bamboo tubes every day. They must drink quickly before the milk and blood mixture coagulates. Some even vomit and cannot consume this “special” drink.
Bodi tribe women are attracted to men with big bellies. Therefore, although there are no prizes for the “man with the biggest belly,” the festival still attracts many participants hoping to gain the attention of the women.
On the festival day, men will cover their bodies with clay and ash before stepping out of their huts.
Becoming a man with a big belly is every child’s dream in the tribe. The Kael festival is still held annually every June.
However, the traditional life of the tribe is threatened as the Ethiopian government plans to resettle 300,000 people from across the country to the valley where the Bodi people live.
“The fat men drink milk and blood all day. The first bowl of blood is consumed at dawn. However, because flies swarm around their huts, the Bodi men must finish the bowl of blood before it coagulates. While many can drink it all, some vomit and cannot keep down this “special” drink,” shared the French photographer.
Once the fattest man is chosen, the ceremony concludes with the sacrifice of a cow using a sacred stone. The tribe’s elders will examine the cow’s stomach and blood to predict the tribe’s future in the coming year. They believe that signs from the cow’s entrails will indicate whether the tribe will face prosperity or hardship that year. After the ceremony is completed, everyone returns to normal life, and most contestants, who have become obese during the competition, will quickly lose weight and revert to their original shape within weeks.
While many cultures worldwide increasingly favor slimness, the Bodi tribe goes against this trend. For them, obesity is a symbol of power, strength, and wealth. A fat man not only has the opportunity to marry multiple wives but is also respected within the community. In contrast, skinny men have little chance of marriage and are seen as inferior.
This highlights that concepts of beauty and value are not uniform across the globe. Beauty is not just a matter of appearance but also depends on the culture, traditions, and social contexts of each community. In the Bodi tribe, what may seem unusual or even strange to many outsiders becomes a standard and revered value. Each culture has its own way of perceiving and celebrating beauty.
The custom of “The Fat Competition” in the Bodi tribe is a clear testament to the cultural diversity and concepts of beauty around the world. While many places pursue slimness, here, obesity is glorified. The competition is not merely a cultural event but also a way to express value and power within the community.
Looking at the Bodi tribe, we can see that concepts of beauty and social norms can vary greatly from one place to another. This diversity is to be cherished, helping us gain a deeper understanding of the various cultures across the globe.
