COUNTRY OF THE WORLD’S FAT MAN

     Have you ever heard about a country called Nauru? Nauru is the third smallest country in the world that is located in the east of Australia. In addition to its small population, the number of tourists visiting Nauru is only 200 people in a year. In Nauru, you will find only one airport, one hospital, one bank, one post office, one fire brigade, two hotels, some restaurants, and supermarkets. Nauru also has no heritage sites (world heritage), no river, only 30km of roadway.

     The uniqueness of this country is having fat people as their symbol of fertility and beauty. Therefore, women in Nauru are required to have fat bodies, not only to look beautiful but also to get more energy during childbirth. But on the other hand, according to the CIA’s World Factbook, 71% of their population are obese and 31% of their population are diabetic. There is a story behind why Nauru citizens are suffering from obesity. Initially, the main income of Nauruan was from fishermen and farmers, therefore the food they consumed was classified as healthy food like fish, vegetables, and fruit. But after Nauru country became independent in 1968, they began a mining sector, and in 1980 Nauru became known as one of the largest phosphate producers in the world. The profits from these activities are distributed among the population therefore all of their citizens did not need to work. Various imported foods also enter the country, such as fast food and soft drinks. This makes a very significant lifestyle change for the Nauruan. The citizen finally got used to a passive lifestyle and unhealthy diet patterns.

     This condition is exacerbated by phosphate deposits which make the soil in Nauru infertile so that people increasingly depend on imports of processed foods high in sugar and fat from New Zealand and Australia.

     In 1990, the phosphate resource was running out and the government tried to generate revenue but they ended up losing lots of money. Therefore in 2017, Nauru was called one of the five poorest countries in the world and receives assistance from the Australian government. Due to the heavy dependence on Australia, Nauru is considered to be Australia’s client country.