Slim might be in elsewhere but for Ethiopia’s Bodi or Me’en people, bigger is always better. The tribe, which lives in a remote corner of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, is home to an unusual ritual which sees young men gorge on cow’s blood and milk in a bid to be crowned the fattest man.
Hero: Every child wants to become one of the fat men, according to Lafforgue, who are feted as heroes by the rest of the tribe for their incredible feat
Too much! A Bodi man finds that his morning bowl of blood and milk is a little too much and is ill outside his hut – watched by a baffled-looking herd of cows
Regime: Each competitor is nominated by his family who then spend the next six months helping him to fatten up on a diet of cow’s blood and milk
Sacrifice: The Bodi kill one of their precious cows at the end of the ceremony and the village elders inspect its blood and entrails to see what the future holds for them
Opportunity: Women use the Ka’el ceremony to inspect potential future husbands – in the Bodi tribe, fat is considered extremely attractive
