Crossing the street in downtown Colombo I snapped a picture of the pedestrian sign.

Looks like the fellow is cultivating his gut.

We were impressed with the healthy foods in Sri Lanka—lots of fruits, vegetables, fish and rice.

But it seems the Sri Lankans favor belly fat.

Even our 28-year-old driver, lean and muscled, had a protruding tummy.

So the pedestrian sign seemed apt: the caricature leads with his gut.

South Asians have long cultivated the big belly as a symbol of affluence, according to the BBC.

The symbol is reflected on the crossing sign: cultivate your gut.