Gaining weight before a marriage is a custom practised by people in Mauritania that dates back to pre-colonial times.
Do you know: Girls as young as 5 and 7 are force-fed 2 kilos of pounded mixed millet in 2 cups of butter and 20 litres of a camel’s milk each day.
There were special fat farms in Mauritania, where Leblouh is practised. Leblouh is the attempt to groom young girls so as to attract potential suitors. During their school holidays, young girls were sent away from their homes so that they might get fattened up and look older in order to attract potential suitors. Very often, torture methods were also employed on the girls to make them eat more.
