Enas Taleb is an actress and stand-up comedian in Iraq.
According to the "Daily Mail" local time on August 10, the 42-year-old Taleb's photo recently appeared in the "Economist", but she is not happy because of this, but is very angry, she is not satisfied with her photo being used indiscriminately, not only did not say hello in advance, but also did the retouching process without authorization.
Taleb has reportedly decided to "take legal action" against the British magazine, which is popular with elites, and "I seek compensation for the emotional, spiritual and social damage caused to me by this incident".
The Economist magazine published an article titled "Why Women Are Fatter Than Men in the Arab World," which sought to answer why obesity is more common in women in the Middle East and North Africa than in men.
The reasons can be summed up as, first, that women are not encouraged to leave home in the Arab world, and that sedentary lifestyles can easily lead to obesity. Second, poorer people tend to consume more high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods. Third, probably because of the lack of women in the workplace, Arab men prefer chubby women.
To illustrate that chubby women conform to the aesthetics of Arab men, Taleb's photograph, taken nine months ago, was placed on it, "Iraqis often refer to the curvy actress Ernas Taleb as the ideal beauty," the article says.
And that's what makes Taleb angry, calling it "an insult to all Arab women, especially To Iraqi women." "Audiences have loved me for years, and it's disappointing that an international magazine has labeled me like all the accomplishments I've achieved are meaningless."
In fact, it wasn't just Taleb who was unhappy with the Economist article, but also the media in the Arab world who questioned it, saying it was a poor analysis and believing it to be rife with "discrimination" and "double standards" against Arab women.
Larsa Al Ajidi, deputy director of the Middle East edition of New Line magazine, posted that European and American stars such as plus-size model Ashley Graham and singer Lizo were widely praised for becoming advocates of "body positive sports", and European and American magazines almost never gave them the label of "obesity".
Moreover, while Arab News acknowledges that the problem of female obesity has become a problem in countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the idea that Arab women are seen as sedentary housewives is outdated.
Taleb, now a mom of two, has been making her mark in Iraqi show business since she was 16 years old, and since then she has become the most popular person on Iraqi television and a guarantee of stable ratings. She also has more than 9 million followers on social media, making her an influential figure in the country.
According to Taleb, The Economist may not have known she was so famous, or it may be because of this that it retouched her photos to make her look more "fat". Taleb stressed, "I'm healthy and I'm happy with my appearance.".