When it comes to weight loss, the struggle is real, particularly for women who aspire to achieve a slimmer figure. In Kenya, a protruding belly is often met with disdain, as though it is a mark of failure. This pressure to conform to beauty standards has led many individuals down a path of desperation, chasing after quick fixes that promise miraculous results.
Roselyne Moraa found herself caught in this exhausting cycle after giving birth. Before pregnancy, she had the coveted figure-eight shape that turned heads. But post-childbirth, she was left with a stubborn belly that refused to go away, despite her best efforts. Determined to regain her pre-pregnancy body, Moraa embarked on a relentless journey to shed the extra weight. She tied her stomach tightly with lessos, believing it would flatten her belly. She battled through the challenges of breastfeeding while trying restrictive diets, but her weight loss attempts only led to frustration. Instead of slimming down, she found herself gaining even more weight.
At first, Moraa did not worry too much about it. However, as friends, family, and even her husband constantly pointed out her weight gain, the pressure to conform intensified. In a bid to silence the remarks, she adopted every piece of advice thrown her way. She took up running, eliminated sugar from her diet, tried intermittent fasting, and even boiled guava leaves in the hope that they would accelerate fat loss. She experimented with one-meal-a-day diets and scrolled through endless weight loss remedies online, hoping for a breakthrough.
Despite her efforts, nothing seemed to work. Like many others, she would try a new solution she found online, only to realize after a few weeks that it was ineffective. Frustrated, she would abandon it and move on to the next fad. Eventually, she grew tired of spending money on unverified methods and decided to take a different approach. Instead of looking for shortcuts, she embraced the slow but sustainable route consistent exercise and a balanced diet. Five years later, she is proud of her transformation, not just physically but mentally as well.
The rise of social media has exacerbated the spread of weight loss myths, with millions of people turning to influencers for guidance. Many blindly trust and adopt products promoted online without verifying their safety or effectiveness. From miracle teas to extreme diets, the internet is flooded with weight loss solutions that claim to deliver quick results. Social media is filled with influencers flaunting their dramatic transformations, often pushing unconventional weight loss methods some effective, others outright dangerous.
One of the most popular myths is the belief that drinking warm lemon water before breakfast “melts fat.” Then there is the one-meal-a-day challenge, where individuals eat just once in 24 hours, often leading to binge eating and nutritional deficiencies. The cabbage soup diet, another widely shared trend, claims that eating nothing but cabbage soup will lead to rapid weight loss, even though most of the lost weight is just water. Waist training is yet another trend, with celebrities endorsing tight corsets to shrink waistlines, despite warnings from doctors about potential organ compression.
Perhaps the most concerning development is the increasing use of diabetes medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro as weight loss aids. Social media influencers and celebrities showcase dramatic transformations, crediting these drugs originally meant for diabetes management for their slim figures. Some non-diabetic users are sourcing these injections privately, ignoring the risks of severe side effects such as nausea, muscle loss, and rebound weight gain once they stop taking the medication.
Bizarre trends continue to emerge, from the ice cube diet, where people suck on ice to suppress hunger, to apple cider vinegar shots that supposedly “burn belly fat instantly.” Despite the hype, many of these trends fade away as quickly as they appear, leaving behind disappointed individuals who have not achieved the promised results.
Experts emphasize that sustainable weight loss still boils down to healthy eating, regular exercise, and patience. However, with social media’s obsession with quick fixes, a new fad is always just around the corner. Dr. Lilian Mumina, a nutritionist and CEO of Mumina Wellness Solutions, warns that Kenyans are increasingly trusting unverified online weight loss solutions without considering the potential health risks. She stresses the importance of conducting thorough background checks on weight loss products before trying them.
Many products marketed as weight loss solutions are either unregulated, banned in other countries, or lack transparency in their ingredients. Some promise rapid results with no scientific backing, making them both unsustainable and dangerous. Mumina advises that consumers should look beyond just the expiry date and carefully scrutinize ingredient lists and the manufacturing process to avoid exposing themselves to harmful substances.
While shortcuts to weight loss remain popular, experts agree that discipline and regular exercise are the most effective long-term strategies. Many individuals who have turned to medications like Ozempic for weight loss have experienced rapid weight gain once they stopped using the drug. Ozempic works by altering the brain’s hunger signals, but it should only be prescribed for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) above 30 who have exhausted all other methods.
Mumina highlights that Ozempic is not a weight loss drug and comes with side effects such as bloating, nausea, and muscle loss. More importantly, it is financially unsustainable for many Kenyans, with a single injection costing around Sh70,000. Instead, she advocates for a natural approach to weight management reducing sugar intake, maintaining gut health, engaging in regular exercise, and consuming high-fiber foods. These methods provide long-term benefits without the risks associated with quick-fix solutions.
Mumina also warns against misleading weight loss advice circulating online, such as excessive protein consumption, which can lead to obesity if not properly balanced. Extreme fasting methods that eliminate essential nutrients like Vitamin B can cause deficiencies, resulting in long-term health complications. She urges Kenyans to be more discerning when adopting dietary trends, as solutions designed for other populations may not necessarily be suitable for Kenya’s unique health and lifestyle conditions.
The pressure to lose weight quickly has led many Kenyans down a dangerous path of unverified weight loss trends. However, experts continue to stress that the best approach remains the simplest: a well-balanced diet, regular physical activity, and consistency. While the allure of quick fixes is strong, the risks often outweigh the benefits. In the long run, sustainable weight loss requires patience, dedication, and informed choices.
