Culture and Ecology of Food and Nutrition ‘sees edad by Hare. ube McGill Univesity, Quebes Canada; Peter Poles Uiverstyof Massachasets and Cine 5 Wis ‘Annpoks Manfand| Volume 1 Socal Aspects of ted by lor ce Pollock SOCIAL ASPECTS OF OBESITY Edited by Igor de Garine Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Lasseube, Fence and Nancy J. Pollock Victoria University Welington, New Zealandby OPA [Overseas Publishers Assocation) Amsterdam BL. icons by Goran and Beach SclencePubksbrs SA, Firs pl ley Gordon and Breach Seiene Publishes Reprinted 2008, by Taylor & Francs, ack Sse itn Pat, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 ARN “Tamer to Digi Ping 208 Abies reserve ‘Nopartothsbook ay bereproduced or utizedin any form or by any means, sector or mechanical incding photocopying an recording. yay ‘emsnon sre onal pry boa pasos hn foe publisher. "= “s " ‘Bush Library Cataloguing in Puleaton Data ISON 2-88449-185-6 hardcover 2298449-186-4 score Cover photograph courtesy of fames&Bindon 392393 IBERO ‘CUOAD DE MEXICO @ CONTENTS Insecton othe Series 3. Secocital Aspect ofthe Mae Fatening Sessions ‘Among the Mass of NowhersCameran igor de Carine yan Fat: Te AnnangFatening Room tine ng Pate nthe Pai: The Poste Side of Obesty-A Nauru Case Stody 6 Tse, Food Repimens and Fates A Sudy in Social Statheaton “Anneke H. van Oteo0 27 Vegetarianism an fans: An Undenalued Perception ote Soy rence Osipow| —3 Sociocultural Aspects of the Male Fattening Sessions among the Massa of Northern Cameroon IGOR de GARINE manm in inpnin inrRooucTiON and obesity ina caltare where6 epe de Gane economic fflenc and power (Brown and Kone, 1987: 42) This Seedtobe the cao among Polynesion cis Pic, 1976) andi ‘Ear among tadltonalAfian king In contemporary Cameroon oingunble fasten one’sshirtealarbecauseofefateck "lec Ble isan extermal sign of sucess among civil servants Alhough apstematicoverfendingot women's donelnanamberof sctnyfor angle in Dyer, unit (Laplantine 198), among, the Tontegs (cebrand ol, 1985), the Moots ofthe Sahara Dette aniston the art —whichalzs proc Fren plump orobese. “fethropelogcal aspects haveeceny been published (Gare and oppers 1991 te present pape il ea with the cael signif cance o thi insti, (GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GURU “The Massa terms used are: aricolletive fattening session gut ‘in_pancpant inthe cllcivefatteing sesion, gua uall>—indi- ‘ihe atoning senion, gor sll—partcpant ithe individual Tantoning session (The sme word designates both lagu nd from mil. They ap heavier than the other villagers. a ‘CULTURAL VIEWS:“8 goede Cane ‘igee1. (Photo Papua tein ateningsesion S58 ok References in the Oral iterate Be. Eethetatone ond hel : Sn become song aniston the ilk of sce Sodocutural Aspet ofthe Male Fatenng Sesions 49 In the foundation myth ofthe Gumay dan, among he Northern Beauly, Kwesi though th tales, we can quote few examples ‘concerning beauty and destabity (tar) "Thveebrohers decided to gooMt to choosea wife. Two weretwin, Spainandsaid: Twenttogotobed with’ Herefased nd tino aot ftrable, Referring tothe estoeed body shape (ee Below Table V and Fig ‘ure 3,the Mass ales protruding stomach and buttocks edo E~prorading stomach grds—pot belly), and 2 ful figure with ‘mooth shining skin with noscarsosrtches. These pre fesares fr specie otbe Mase and severely mocked bythe nelghbouingso gor de Gane Mussa“ Thal atc ae ft Wala hey sk” The cheved when a sal red bre is ven sulk det ‘aptheraell Oh igoupand become bentfa. Moray Neon beauty salsa gua goes deepesthan phys eional societies, rung the Mas Blinky the fea sche hey the camp det and be Iwalching over te cae, He is Acwesswinthe guna thepart come fat Todo Soccer Aspects ofthe Male Fatening Sessions 51 tng to us Yu nat ook at what is appeing tos I w like to run away with you “ my hand onthe ctorisoFny “which grows stony than wren. Milk drinking is alo rlated to becoming stro heavy and powerful, and to wreting- The tales arefullexamse Igor de Gane gute 2. (Phot) The thnskiny boy shape. maga ppd Photo Thre aes thin llc gum, Photo 4, One ft gor ail, Photos, Avery Photo 6, Anetra fat man, oto 7, Four collective gum, n god body shape for wrestling Figures, coming out of fateing session, in the idl ofhisession (igre), Secocuural Aspect ofthe Male Fatering Sessoms 53 Fgure3,_ (Photos) Theft oy shape mos valued Sameinval asin shang nnd He weigh fom Stab geghthe woe offtening seins ‘Photo Partipansin each Kinda guru in very goodshape Fig- ue), Photo, Four Tapas collctive urn at ifecet sages fatness, Adult subjects were invited to comment onthe pho ‘hey name this type of body comporure? Did they low didgordo Carne Seciocitral Aspect of he Mae FateringSesions 55 igure 4 (Photo) Tesi pump bly supe appeal in of acinty was it appropits—working wrestling, lovesmae his typeof est inal the pete core ald therefore beconsice “hin individuals Photos 1 and 2; pare 2 were the most on skinny and weak. They are sit ook Sr, Fe ee fous at eating abuncatly and the resting ates Te pected that ihe bee gor walls (Photos 45 and 8)oe Tarwitout Taste fr wrest clovemaiing Thin Dipropatoned ‘Afstgorle ; pnd ued nepntve yps, whic wap snexpetd Pasties TABLE fing of mn By types mon the Masa38 wor de Carine TABLE Msn eet ing Say apoerance among the Mon gamingatany paiva Histhivaliewwundinbody eH lege reconcile these oppose but enviable oes? ‘able Vshone ther complementary In practic, the gual a pspartoy sige tothe coletive guna and a rans open’ diy one. After spec ‘velghe becomes an efiient wrest partner: However, the two types ofp contrat in ma ‘able Vit show, oe eeSociocultural Aspects of he Male Faring Sessions 6 TABLE. Catgofes esting toby poe among he Mia TABLE, Cae ating eBoy sopecance aman the Masa ste pce 7 Comprks ____—Comminand ppresine _ ‘eam oto pysalyHeiey ma and op ‘Stoel Hatche Ieor de Gane {MEVIL_ Cenarion betwen theo ype of Ca amorthe MH TABLE Vt_Comparson ewan he mo Pe of Cv rons SM Pete aspects acne sais cemnen fs pa Soe” peso pi fmeal Seger i yarn ema Ege re secretes Source ‘Koppert 195125), which can be sen as counteraaptive ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL GURU The benefits derived rom the gurl are notsocasy to determi,a por de Caine Sociocultural Aspects of he Male Fatering Sesont 65 (Gch, 1957: 269), In tho oral trate they are represent by @ nasty lor, Mul Kabra Secondly onecftepisipl characters inthe rl iteatue i aft glutton (Hl) who ie conta sealiny hoarding food, and to whom many misfortunes ccc a a conse scon atthe partipans perspire abundantly indoor (Octobe) for fear of dying Skinny young gts are ant tothe gr walls in nde often, to seachpuberty fase andbe ready for aarriagesoustobringin eal | | oath 722 sunnanod arity an el one == aie ote yacht at at ty may ave ao tee etn calf andobesty whew wevines nsx shoal hb nerd tesony Ene mane espa py and ental pat lope mene sone and has thinge under conta. At the same tne, ecing the goalto the Mase population, CONCLUSIONS ‘Thegurofthe Macs isa complexand rather exceptional ination, seitinginmotion mostaspectsofsocal lie Msactallythecrx athe Moses ctr, Inthe changing word of Norther Cameroonian societies, thegur institution appearsasa means of enhancing cultural value an ofa lowingindivdualstoacheve stat accodingtostandaeds whichare oeroved from thege s gor de Carne i foc, ea in which the" scenifi” dette dacourseis ioe UR re from fasion and vested intrest. ores his Dacorae of tnciogy ram the Sarton. Hes Teen toner Natl ela Recher et “avi #1879. A Sly Feral Lf Maurits. le Women nD AS natal beropens Wang DS Otome eg es Maa du Tad: la ef it Combe Ag Bone dea Mason Gs Sins ‘tes mere ina nae Ppa 285, 29-286 Sococuual Aspects ofthe Mle Fatening Sesons 69 at 17 Lays Come Si Carne de and GJ. Koppert 1901 Sac adaptaton seta ance