Calabar is the capital city of Cross River State of Nigeria. It is a cosmopolitan town with a population of about half a million people. The population of Cross River State stands at around 2.5 million. Inhabitants of the region are mostly farmers, fishermen and civil servants. The Efik in south Calabar are a proud people with a rich cultural heritage. In Efik communities, the preservation of centuries-old values and customs is central to the tradition of ‘fattening rooms’. Involving young women in a period of almost total physical inactivity, during which they consume large amounts of food, the fattening rooms may contribute to the development of risk factors for obesity and diabetes. Enang Oe reports.