Strange tribe "honors" pot-bellied men in Africa

Every year, the Bodi tribe in southern Ethiopia holds a special festival to honor the man with the biggest belly. To prepare for this event, contestants must undergo a grueling six-month fattening journey.

Obesity and pot bellies are not only bad for your health, but are also considered unsightly in modern life. However, in a remote area of ​​the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia, obese men are considered extremely impressive, even attractive.

The Bodi, a farming and herding tribe, will honor and show love to their pot-bellied people in an annual festival called Ka'el. During the festival, the man with the biggest belly is awarded the prestigious title of "Fat Man of the Year" and receives the respect of the entire tribe for life.

However, to gain this honor, the men must follow a difficult diet. They must fatten themselves on cow's milk or yogurt, honey, and even fresh cow's blood for several months before the festival takes place.

Six months before the Ka'el festival, the men of the Bodi tribe begin to stop all physical activity and consume the most caloric foods possible - usually milk and cow's blood. For the Bodi, cows are sacred, so they do not kill them for their blood. Instead, they collect the blood and then seal their wounds with clay.

During the fattening process, the men will abstain from almost all physical activity. They will stay in a hut and the women of the tribe will be responsible for caring for the men preparing to compete.

At sunrise, they would drink about 1 to 2 liters of milk and cow's blood, and had to drink many more bowls throughout the day if they wanted to have a chance of winning the Ka'el festival. Some had difficulty with this high-protein diet and threw up.

Men in the Bodi tribe are generally lean but muscular. Some gain so much weight during their special diet that they can no longer walk. But they are willing to sacrifice that to gain the respect of the tribe.

During the Ka'el festival, which usually takes place in June or July, men cover themselves with clay and ash and display their fat bellies for all to see. The tribe votes on who has the biggest belly. After the festival, their bellies return to their normal size within a few weeks.

The only reward for the winner of this contest is fame and respect. This is a high honor for the Bodi people, because the winner is honored as a hero of the tribe for the rest of their lives.