”The Ghanaian weight loss rush”
something strange is happening.
Who told everybody to lose weight?
Suddenly, everybody wants to lose weight.
Not “I want to be healthier” kind of weight loss.
I mean “please do not let anybody take a picture of me from the side” kind of weight loss.
The same people who used to proudly say, “I like my body oo”, have suddenly joined a secret WhatsApp group called Operation Tiny Waist. 7 days challenge.
Tell you what? I nearly joined one WhatsApp group! Thanks to my broken heart that came to the rescue.
Let us leave that for another day.
You see someone after three months and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is:
“Ei! You’ve lost weight!”
And instead of saying thank you, they look frightened.
“Really?”
Yes, really. Your cheekbones have entered the room before you.
Everywhere you turn, someone is posting a before-and-after picture.
Before: “I was struggling.” After: “I chose myself.”
Meanwhile, somewhere in the comments on TikTok.
“Please, what did you take?”
Apparently, we have reached a point where losing weight is no longer just a personal decision. It is now a public investigation.
People want the method
Your meal plan.
Which gym?
Which doctor?
Which injection?
Which tea?
Which mysterious powder are you hiding from us?
And heaven help you if you lose weight naturally.
People will still interrogate you.
“Are you sure you are okay?”
So when I was gaining weight, nobody asked if I was okay.
Now that my trousers are slightly loose, suddenly there is a medical panel.
The funny thing is that the pressure is not only coming from women anymore.
Men have entered the chat.
Suddenly, brothers who spent years defending their “dad bod” are looking at their stomachs like they have discovered an unpaid debt.
Everybody wants to be lean.
Everybody wants a jawline.
Everybody wants a flat stomach.
Everybody wants to look like they drink green juice at sunrise, even though most of us are still emotionally attached fufu and akple.
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight.
If you want to exercise, eat better or work with a qualified professional, beautiful.
But somewhere along the line, “I want to be healthy” quietly became “I don’t like the body I have.”
That is where we need to slow down.
Social media has a funny way of making somebody else’s body look like your unfinished assignment.
You see someone lose 15 kilos and suddenly your perfectly functional body starts looking like a personal failure.
Who declared that everybody must be smaller?
And why are we acting as if every body has the same starting point, the same metabolism, the same lifestyle, the same genetics, the same medical history and the same bank account?
Some people are genuinely pursuing better health.
Some are chasing a beauty standard.
Some are responding to medical advice.
Some simply want to fit into an old dress.
Perhaps the real pandemic is not the sudden desire to lose weight.
Maybe it is the sudden belief that everybody needs to look the same.
Health should be more than fitting into a particular size.
If your weight-loss journey is making you healthier, stronger and happier, congratulations. If you are only shrinking because the internet convinced you that your body is unacceptable as it is…
Please, put the weighing scale down and grab some banku from Dimaensa!
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