Copa na Copa: another side of Brazil's most famous beach

This beach is blessed by the image of a saint, the Virgin of Copacabana, who came from Bolivia in the seventeenth century. The saint gave not only her name, but her blessing on a place which eventually became synonymous with joy, diversity and natural beauty. Every day, tourists and locals alike come together to enjoy themselves; lie in the sun, relax, socialize and have a good time. In short,Copacabana is the “Copa (Cup)” of Rio de Janeiro. The notion of the beach however, has another side. Pleasure, unfortunately often goes together with excess; too much sun, too much food and too much fun. Excessive consumption combined with a sedentary lifestyle has brought on health problems in Brazil - particularly obesity. Despite our country's reputed love for movement in dance and football, we are slowing down. In fact, one third of our population does not dispense fatty meat and about 53% consume whole milk regularly; it was expected that more than half of the nation is overweight. ‘Copa na Copa’ takes a look at Copacabana during the World Cup 2014 on a different light. Rather than seeing the “Little Princess of the Sea” as a tourist mecca, my photographs present one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city and its population - around 30% of the residents are elderly - showing the beach in an ironic and amusing way, portrays an authentic beauty and reflects the way we Brazilians are living our lives.