Western Habits Fueled Weight,Of Women Prized for Size;,Some Girls Are Force-Fed

[Guest guest]

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB110428585970011783-IJjgoNnlaF3m52mbXmIb\

66Jm4,00.html

or

http://snipurl.com/bszl

Excerpt:

The belief that rotund women are more desirable as wives helps explain

why much of the Arab world -- which stretches from the Persian Gulf in

the east to Mauritania in North Africa -- is experiencing an explosion

of obesity. About half of women in the Middle East are overweight or

obese, according to the United Nations' World Health Organization. In

some communities, many of which were nomadic until a few decades ago,

oil wealth has dramatically improved living standards. The resulting

urbanization has introduced some Western habits: high consumption of

sugar, fat and processed foods and more sedentary lifestyles.

and another excerpt:

In early December, representatives from WHO, the U.N.'s Food and

Agricultural Organization and about 20 Middle Eastern and North African

states met in Cairo for the first time to develop dietary guidelines

that take into consideration local eating habits. One nutritionist noted

than an anti-obesity plan would have to take into account the region's

preference for rotund women, according to Jaffar Hussain, a Cairo-based

WHO medical officer, who attended the meeting. He says country

representatives decided to study the issue and report back in at least

six months