Indian Beauty and Fat women

I am having trouble uploading photos due to slow internet connections. So sorry for this.....but at least I have internet at all now.

India has an interesting conception of weight. It seems that bigger is better.

I’ll hypothetically say that perhaps this stems from a culture of poverty, where food is scarce, and most lower caste people are very thin. Thinness is a sign of poverty. Thinness is a sign that you probably do physical labor for work. Fatness is a sign of prosperity. Fatness is probably a sign that you don’t do much for work. I think for Western women traveling to India this is an important concept to grasp, lest you be offended time and time again about your weight.

In the United States, it is very impolite to talk to a woman about her weight and body size. Women are easily offended by this. Also, thin is best, and fat is grotesque. Our economy feeds on forcing women to believe that a thin body is sexy.

In India, fat women are yearned for, to say the least. Women in saris proudly protrude their naked bellies, and having a healthy appetite is preferred.

When I returned to India recently, it was a little disconcerting for me, until I recognized this cultural trait. Upon reuniting with former teachers and mentors, many of them commented on how much I have matured, and complimented on how I have gained weight. “Oh, how nice! It is a good thing you have gained weight!” Or from a very dear female mentor, “You have gained weight since the last time you were here! You are looking so sexy now!” I was totally thrown off by those curveballs, but I’ll take it. In my Western perception of myself and beauty, I really hope I haven’t been gaining weight though (although, I have been scarfing down massive amounts of paneer masala, dosa, roti, and other delicious Indian cuisines).