RABAT, 5 November 2004 — Moroccans spend 28 percent more on food during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, a government study showed on Tuesday. Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar when practicing Muslims must abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk — a discipline intended to better their souls and bring them closer to God. In Morocco, where Ramadan began on Oct. 15, an average family spends 28 percent more on food products than during the other months of the year, the High Planning Commission said. The state body did not explain the reasons behind the rise but listed products whose consumption increase significantly during Ramadan, including milk and dairy products and eggs. The Iftar meal which breaks the fast after sunset has become increasingly lavish and heavy in recent years across the Arab world. Studies by health experts and dieticians have shown that many Muslims actually gain weight during the month of fasting.
