Body image is something many women spend a lot of time thinking about, sometimes becoming obsessed with our physical appearance for various reasons.
One area of concern for many is the stomach, especially the lower belly pooch, also known as the muffin top, panniculus, or kitambi.
Interestingly, Dr. Ofweneke recently shared that many men actually love this lower belly area. Kitambi refers to the loose layer of fat in the lower abdomen that many Kenyan women have.
Medics explain that this layer of fat can appear due to rapid weight loss, recent pregnancy, or sometimes just as a part of how a person’s body naturally is. It’s also commonly known as the muffin top.
Dr. Ofweneke encourages women to embrace this area, highlighting that natural beauty is what he loves. There’s no need to feel pressured to look a certain way.
He even shared a picture of the belly pooch with the comment, “😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 we like it! Oh sorry I like it! 😂😂😂😂😂” The caption read, “Polite reminder don’t go to the gym to remove this thing, we like it.”
His playful comment was met with support from other male celebrities. Comedian DJ Shitti posted, “Finally someone said it👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😢,” while media personality Alex Mwakideu added, “Only if the rest of the other things resemble the ones appearing in the photo above. 😂”
Women also joined the conversation, with Ritah Muia humorously writing, “The one thing nakazana nayo surely.🤣🤣😮” and Chiriih Brenda joking, “Si ungesema mapema ju niko gym already😂😂😂.”
Despite the lighthearted comments, it’s important to remember the health risks associated with belly fat.
According to the Mayo Clinic, belly fat is more than just a layer of padding under the skin (subcutaneous fat). It also includes visceral fat, which lies deep inside the abdomen and surrounds the internal organs.
Having too much belly fat, regardless of overall weight, can increase the risk of several serious health issues, including:
- High blood pressure
- Unhealthy levels of fat in the blood
- Sleep apnea
- Heart disease
- High blood sugar and diabetes
- Certain cancers
- Stroke
- Fatty liver disease
- Early death from any cause
To check if belly fat is a concern, Mayo Clinic recommends measuring your waist. Stand up straight and wrap a tape measure around your bare stomach, just above your hipbone.
Pull the tape until it fits snugly but isn’t digging into the skin. Make sure the tape measure is level around your waist. Then, relax, exhale, and measure without sucking in your stomach.
For women, a waist measurement over 35 inches (89 cm) signals an unhealthy amount of belly fat and an increased risk of health problems. Generally, the larger the waist measurement, the higher the health risks.
by MAUREEN WARUINGE
