Iraqi actress sues The Economist over ‘fat’ photo

Enas Taleb accuses the British newspaper of causing her ‘serious harm’

Enas Taleb performs at the Babylon International Festival on 28 October, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi actress and chat show host Enas Taleb is suing The Economist for using a picture of her in an article about “fat” women in the Middle East.

The piece, which some readers claimed was “racist” and “sexist”, was published in late July under the headline “Why women in the Middle East are fatter than men”.

It argued that female obesity rates are high in the region because of societal pressures which keep women at home and make it more difficult for them to exercise outdoors.