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Nigeria wrestles weighty issue
By CNN's Jeff Koinange
CALABAR, Nigeria -- Some of the world's most beautiful women are gathering in Nigeria for the finals of the 52nd Miss World competition. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in Nigeria the big are considered truly beautiful. In Calabar -- venue for the Miss World contest -- women attend farms to help them gain weight rather than lose weight, a tradition that began hundreds of years ago. It is called Nkuho in the local language -- a process where a woman in her teens or early twenties is taken to a fat farm and literally force-fed on fatty foods until she reaches a suitable size. Only then will be she be considered fit for marriage and motherhood. Donald Duke, Governor of Cross River State, said: " I'll tell you something -- from this part of the world, endowment is important. You must have everything slightly exaggerated." And Nigerian women are not afraid to flaunt their fat for their men. Amaka Aluchuru said: "Nigerian men prefer girls that are fleshy and most of them don't prefer skinny girls. You want someone when they hug you, you feel something." Many of the 93 entrants in the Miss World competition say --- for the record, at least --- that beauty is not just about looks. Rachelle Oduber, Miss Aruba, said: "Beauty is everything you have, primarily inside. I think the beauty inside counts more than the beauty outside." Azra Akin, Miss Turkey, said: "You have to have beauty inside to show it in your eyes and that makes you more beautiful." Tamara Henriksen, Miss Argentina, said: "It's not only physical, it's more personality and being nice with people, to be kind, to be friendly. That's the most beautiful person." Nigerian Agbani Darego is the reigning Miss World and she could not be further from the traditional Nigerian ideal when it comes to size and shape.
But there are signs that some in Nigeria are now rethinking their definition of beauty. Chichi Aluchuru, a Nigerian student, said: "I'm a Nigerian girl and I'm fat and these days most men prefer slim girls more than somebody that is fat as I am now. " But perhaps it is Karen Russell, Miss Belize, who best puts this weighty issue to rest. "My definition of beauty is something that is deep within, and it radiates outside. Just to be happy with who you are, and say: 'You know what? This is me and I can't do anything to really change it.'" Whether the judges take that into account on December 7 remains to be seen.
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