In the Bodi Tribe (Ethiopia), the men with the biggest belly are most desired. The greater the abdominal volume, the more attractive they will be. But the preparation for the contest where the fattest is chosen is rather gruesome.
They drink fresh cow blood and fresh cow milk for 3-6 months in a bid to quickly become fat and be crowned the fattest man. During the Kael ceremony, the winner of the contest is measured and receives great fame by the tribe.
Women and girls bring them milk every morning in their quest for big gut glory.
The only prize for the winner is fame and the adulation of his fellow tribesmen. The women take care of the fat men: they give them alcohol, remove the sweat, and sing for them to keep them awake.
Sadly, the Ka'el ritual and the Bodi's traditional way of life is under threat from the Ethiopian government who plan to resettle 300,000 people from all over the country on their lands.
For now, the tribe continue as they always have, and still celebrate Ka'el in traditional style each June.
The contest begins six months before the ceremony. Every family is allowed to present an unmarried man for the challenge, who, after being chosen, retires to his hut and must not move or have sex for the duration.
Food comes in the form of a cow's blood and milk mixture, served regularly to the men by women from the village. 'The cows are sacred to the Bodi tribe so they are not killed,' explains Lafforgue. 'The blood is taken by making a hole in a vein with a spear or an axe, and after that, they close it with clay.'
Because of the scorching temperatures, the men have to drink the two-litre bowl of blood and milk quickly before it coagulates but as Lafforgue reveals, not everyone can handle drinking so much at speed.
'The fat men drink milk and blood all day long,' he says. 'The first bowl of blood is drunk at sunrise. The place is invaded by flies. The man must drink it quickly before it coagulates but some cannot drink everything and vomit it.'
On the day itself, the men cover their bodies with clay and ashes before emerging from their huts for the walk to the spot where the ceremony will take place.
Thanks to the weight gain, many of them find covering the short distance tougher than the weeks spent fattening up. 'Some fat men are so big that they cannot walk anymore,' explains Lafforgue.
'One asked me if he could use my car to go to the ceremony area. Once in the car, he started to drink milk and blood again because he said he wanted to keep trying to be the fattest until the very last moment.'
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