Harvest of South African "integration": body-neuroses + eating disorders

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"Like many South African women, Bongi Tsuene is worried about her weight.
The difference is that Tsuene, featured in a television advertisement promoting a slimming formula, is black.

"Experts say more black women like Tsuene are shunning the traditional African reverence for the fuller figure as they adapt to the pressures of post-apartheid South Africa, raising fears they could become vulnerable to eating disorders."

Comments

sondjata said…
I have issues with this. In the US and elsewhere overweight men and women suffer disproportionately from Hypertension, Diabeties and related illnesses. If reducing ones weight can lead to a healthier life with less doctor visits and less reliance on medication in old(er) age, then that should not be looked at as "Western" but rather as healthy.
1:43 pm
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