Derdeg: Strange prescription used by some Moroccan women to gain weight

Taroudant, Morocco- Beauty has been praised since the dawn of civilization. The term “beautiful” is conventionally associated with women. A woman is said to be beautiful when all her qualities are harmoniously woven together and appeal to the senses and please the mind.

Generally, beauty has been a prideful focus ever since the world came into being. For this reason, women excel in the making of cosmetic products, and are willing to try any trend for the sake of conforming with an arbitrary standard of beauty.

While women in America and other Western countries do their utmost to keep their bodies thin; some women in some regions of Morocco use, along with various homemade herb-based recipes, pills known as “Derdeg” to achieve fuller figures.

In Morocco, standards of beauty, whether on an individual or a collective basis, are widely different. Yet, the majority regards fuller-figured women as more attractive. Moroccan women who are not satisfied with how they look turn to weight gain for the sake of finding a perfect husband.

By gaining weight, they seek to avoid the mockery of society for their appearance. They believe that being fleshy is a sign of beauty. This is especially true in southern regions of Morocco.

To get rid of their thinness, Moroccan women use a variety of methods. These differ according to their social backgrounds and cultural and educational levels. Some rely on specific herbs and spices known in Morocco for their effectiveness in gaining weight, others consult modern clinics in order to have perfect bodies.

The so-called pills of “Derdeg”

However, the so-called pills “Derdeg” are the means most commonly used because they are cheap, and are known for their quick and significant results compared with other herb-based recipes and pharmaceutical drugs.

“Derdeg” pills are generic medical drugs used by girls who are suffering from thinness to gain weight. These pills are being sold secretly in cosmetic shops, herbalists and spices shops.

In online forums geared to women, these pills are being advertised, with only little information given concerning their ingredients and side effects. To give them a local touch, some herbalists grind the pills and mix them with different herbs in order to inspire trust in the prescription.

To my knowledge, the pills known in Morocco as “Derdeg” come from Spain through smuggling. They were originally used for fattening cows, and not intended for human use, so they are likely to cause potentially serious health problems for consumers. Pharmaceuticals that are not prescribed by a specialist can lead to serious health disorders and negative side effects, especially if the drugs are primarily made for animals.

Being aware of the serious health problems that the so-called “Derdeg” may cause, some women are still inclined to use them in order to achieve the socially accepted and attractive appearance. They blindly trust the traffickers and contrabandists whose main goal is profit even at the expense of people’s health.

Finally, to women, particularly those who are insecure about their appearance, for whatever reason, I say: never judge yourself according to arbitrary standards of beauty. I do recall a lovely inspiring saying of Elisabeth Kübler that runs: “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Don’t believe the opposite!!

Editing by Jasmine Davey