Forced to Be Fat

I came across this article today that seriously broke my heart. It's about young girls in Mauritania being sent of to "camps" to be force-fed and fattened so that men would find them attractive (a process known as leblouh). Girls as young as seven, being forced to eat between 14,000 and 16,000 calories a day. Let's put that into perspective: An adult male bodybuilder usually eats 4000 calories a day.

Even worse than the fact that this practice is extremely unhealthy, it is abusive! From the article:

Tijanniya chokes down the thick gruel — she has no choice. An older woman dressed in pink robes threatens to beat her with a long cane if she refuses. Worse, if she throws up, the woman will make her eat her own vomit.... How do small girls eat these gargantuan amounts of food? "I'm very strict," boasts Elhacen. "I beat the girls, or torture them by squeezing a stick between their toes. I isolate them and tell them that thin women are inferior." Desert settlements like this 1000-strong farming community with no electricity or running water are popular spots for leblouh because there are no distractions and no easy ways to escape. But Elhacen denies that her work amounts to child cruelty. "No, no, it's for their own good," she almost shrieks. "How will these poor girls find a husband if they're bony and revolting?"

What disgusts me the most is the fact that this society as a whole supports young girls going through such a degrading, unhealthy practice in the hopes of getting a man. As the author states, it's like our obsession with thinness in reverse. It's sad that these women, as well as women here and in many other countries I'm sure, feel that who and what they are is inferior. It's sad that we feel we have to alter who we are, inside and/or outside, just to be "acceptable" and to be loved. And it's heartbreaking to think that the cycle of damaging young girls' self-esteem just to get a man will more than likely continue.

You Will Never Be Like the Chicks in the Magazines

And that's fine. Neither will they.

Randomness: Because I'm a bit scatterbrained, and that's okay...

1. I will admit, I am not the most proactive or creative person when it comes to addressing social issues. (Shocking, I'm sure) However, I am all for getting involved and supporting whatever endeavor I can. That being said, I am asking everyone to support my fellow blogger, JG over at One Fourth Random. She is raising money through December 25 to donate computers to her local library in Atlanta. (Read all about it here.) Now if I can donate something with my meager little income, surely you can! It only takes a second to do, and you'll be helping a good cause.



I'll leave this widget up at the bottom of the page, so you can come through and donate at any time! I'm sure she (and the children she's helping) will really appreciate it. And hopefully this will inspire others to get involved in their community in some way and make a difference.

2. Really random, I know, but I love this commercial!

The Queen looks absolutely beautiful (hair, makeup, clothing, the whole nine!) and Usher looks delicious. ^_^ That's really all I have on that...

3. A new career possibility has come up and I'm kinda excited about it! I won't go too much into it, but it would give me a base for one of the non-profits that I want to start as well as pad my own pockets pretty nicely... More on that as it comes.... But if I got this opportunity, I may end up moving to the city where one of my exes is and that could go either way. We've kinda talked and I'm anxious to see what--if anything--comes of it. Of course, I know I said I would use this time to focus on me, and I am. Besides, it would be at least several months before I would be out there. But I've been listening to his music (Google is the debbil y'all, I swear) and feel myself melting, like "This is what did it in the first place..." And before anyone thinks it, NO I would not be going out there for him! There are two other cities of interest where I could end up... This is just my first choice....

4. Speaking of music, I have definitely hit a sweet spot! Writer's block what? I feel like I'm not even writing really; the songs are just jumping out AT ME! I love it! I've come to realize something: I could never be an R&B artist. Although I've never really tried to classify my music, I know it doesn't fit the usual formula for popular R&B today. It has more of a jazzy/neo-soul type feel to it. And I'm definitely okay with that! (Plus, I don't dance. *shrug*)

5. To end, you know I have to get in a quote or two. These are courtesy of Anais Nin.

“How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.”

“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.”

Throwback Video!

Toni Braxton- You're Making Me High
I was really too young to be singing this when it came out, but this was MY SONG! lol

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

This is a topic that especially touches me because it has impacted both sides of my family, which of course increases my chances for having the disease. My Big Momma has survived this awful disease. My maternal grandmother and one of my aunts were not so lucky. It's something that I try not to think of too much. Instead, I focus on ways I can help contribute to finding a cure. Since I'm no scientist and have no idea what causes or cures this disease, I do what is in my power to do. I try to spread as much information about the disease as possible. I participate in events that help bring awareness to this issue and donate money to help find cures and provide treatment for those who have already been diagnosed. I urge all women to take the time to do those monthly check-ups! If you're like me, you play with the girls regularly anyway; make it fun AND useful!

Seriously ladies, know the facts. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and 7th-leading cause overall. An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the U.S. in 2009. An estimated 40,170 women will die.

The issue is even worse for black women. Although breast cancer has typically not been as common in black women, young black women who do have breast cancer are more likely to have a deadlier form of the disease. It is known as Triple-negative breast cancer and is more aggressive and harder to treat. Although this has been known for a few years, it has not been determined whether it is genetics or something that black women are "more prone to be around" that would expose us to this. It is also important to note that most diagnoses of breast cancer are made after menopause, the disease may develop as early as the 20s. So it is especially important that we are vigilant in our efforts to know our bodies and our boobies, and get those annual screenings.

Do your part! Participate in breast cancer walks, give donations to support breast cancer research, and make yourself and your loved ones aware of the risks.

Sites with more info, places to donate, and items for sale (proceeds go to cancer research):
CDC: Breast Cancer
American Cancer Society
Susan G. Komen
Yahoo! Health Breast Cancer Center
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The Breast Cancer Site
Save The Tatas

Quote of the Day

I've seen this quote before and liked it immediately. However, I'd kinda forgotten about it until I saw someone tweet it the other day...

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm,
she will give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a
home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a
smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to
her. So if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.