Confidence in one's body

Why Women Hate Belly Fat: The Emotional and Physical View

by Temitayo Oladejo

Opinion;

Well, It’s a lot of things. Sometimes we just want to be perfect and just looking at the mirror and seeing belly fat and you’re like OMG what the f*ck is this? Makes you feel insecure, lowers self-esteem. Not wanting to wear a bikini, taking off tops for guys, and also when you’re all-around girls with this perfect body, makes you feel like you’re not there yet, not perfect, and basically, that’s it. It’s a sensitive topic for us. -Feyikemi (IG: @ _feyii_o)

Belly fat makes the stomach one of women’s disliked body parts, ladies cutting across all ages and races have this as their common arch enemy. While many advocate that they love all parts of their body equally and would rock it to the fullest, we still find out that this belly fat gives them negative vibes on one occasion or the other. 

After discussing and getting opinions from few ladies on this issue, few reasons were attributed to why ladies do not love to have belly fat and that many would do almost anything to get rid of it, hide or compress it, even if it meant cutting it off. If possible, that is! These reasons are as follows;

Tbh, women care a lot about their appearances, and belly fat is a No-No. It makes some women feel insecure because their dress does not always fit. Imagine wearing a sexy dress hoping to get that hourglass shape but ending up looking like SpongeBob because of a bulging tummy. – Lucia. (IG: @lucia.mma) 

The Physical Effect of Belly Fat in Women

Want for shape and figure

Women want to have the smart shape, the so much-admired figure 8. They want to look at themselves in the mirror and see the curved hips with no protruding tummy, looking smart and model-like.

Limits choice of clothing

This simply means that belly fat reduces the choice of dressing for ladies, it makes them uncomfortable rocking some types of dressing no matter how much they like them.

“Well, the truth is most of the ladies that have fat bellies act like they are cool with it but deep down they want it flat. Some would even argue with you about it… I love my fat, I love my belly, this is my imperfection and all. But it’s not so true. Physically, it affects our clothing choice, because sometimes the fitting of a particular dress we are putting on might have been obvious or make the dress finer with a flat tummy.

So, it is the dressing game for some, you would have seen a trend of “what you ordered vs what you get” on social media, sometimes that is the problem. Ladies see a dress on a model and they instantly fall in love with it, however, by the time they get it and put it on, it becomes an entirely different disaster with the belly fat. This causes so much discomfort and dissatisfaction.”  -Kikelomo 

It forces selectivity on them, otherwise, they might have to ruin their nice dresses or appear puffed up in them. This is a no-go area for fashionistas and photo freaks, they do anything not to make it show in the snap or group picture. They draw it in forcefully while others make use of tummy belts underneath their dresses.

Body shaming

Body shaming is another awful effect of belly fat. Many ladies are who are satisfied with their appearance regardless of belly fat often fall victim to body shaming from friends and partners. Although this could be in form of an honest joke or just a teasing comment. However, most of the time it does not go well with the victims. While some will react immediately others will laugh it off but will have a sore moment of thinking whenever they are alone. 

 “It can be so uncomfortable, they need to be comfortable and also have that girly shape. Imagine wearing a nice dress and then your tummy is flapping, oh that’s so wrong”.   – Omolola 

Emotional Effects of Belly Fat

Low self-esteem

Belly fat can make girls feel less of themselves, it’s all about being perfect. Ladies want to look perfect, appear smart, and gorgeous. It makes them feel less confident about their appearance. They become overly self-conscious, always looking at the mirror to see if the dress is folding if the tummy is showing.

Read also: How to manage depression as ladies in Nigeria.

Insecurity around friends and partners

One thing I have realized about ladies with belly fat is that it makes them feel imperfect (in the sense that everyone wants to be called figure 8 queen with flat tummy), as a result, some ladies with belly fat feel insecure around guys.

“It’s all about insecurities, for someone who cares overly about this. At times it is flat and other times it’s chubby I don’t understand it my stomach.”    – Michelle (IG: @being_m.i.c.h.e.l.l.e) 

When with their partners, especially in cases where a relationship is new. Some ladies find it difficult to dress lightly or undress when with their partners. Because they don’t like it themselves and therefore won’t know the reaction it might generate from their partner. 

Leads to jealousy

It may also cause envy and jealousy among friends, or sometimes even lead to quarrels and misunderstanding.

 “We sometimes envy people that have a flat tummy, that’s why you see fat people always body shaming slim people but low-key they want that kind of body.”  -Tam 

In a case whereby a friend makes a joke about another friend’s tummy and it does not go down well. It may escalate to both of them finding faults in each other’s body shape and candidly, it hardly ends well.

Why women hate belly fat

confidence in one’s body

All things said and done, it is worth nothing that not all ladies feel so bad about their body when it come to this. Some are so confident that they do not care at all whatever anyone says. Therefore, it’s a matter of emotional strength and the level of self-esteem one portrays. Confidence in oneself might be all that’s needed. 

“But some people don’t feel bad about it if they have a good and sensible boyfriend who love them the way they always tell them they are looking good and all”   

– Azeezat 

Supportive friends and partners too cannot be excluded, avoiding body shaming and making derogatory statements on someone’s body can go a long way in maintaining cordial relationships.

Join our whatsapp community if you’d like to start a conversation around this. You’d also get access to some profitable business tips.

The health factor

Belly fat is a result of excess fat stored by the body from the consumption of food. Intake of food substances with high calories, not having enough restful sleep and excessive inactivity may all lead to weight gain which is considered dangerous to health. Many conditions like obesity, diabetes, fatty liver diseases are all health-endangering diseases linked to excess abdominal fats and general storage of excess fat in the body.

Read also: Things you should know about pastpartum depression in women. 

To wrap it all up, as a lady:

  1. Be confident in yourself: you are beautiful the way you are and only can make others see that.
  2. Try to keep fit.
  3. Do not body shame another person.
  4. Move with people who appreciate and respect you.
  5. Dress well and care less about what people may think.
  6. Build your self-esteem around your intelligence other than physique.
  7. Little or no attention to derogatory and limiting.
  8. Rock your life the way you want.

Everyone is perfect in their way. If there is anything, you are free to be who you are. On lighter note, no matter how sexy or how ‘fat tummied’ you think you are; there will always be someone who is sexier or fatter than you do. Contentment is a great gain. 

Nevertheless if you want to get rid of it, find out easy ways to lose weight and get a flat tummy and adopt a plan or routine that suits you best. 

Do you agree with these opinions, or you have an opinion of yours? Feel free to engage in the comment box below.

About Author

Avatar of Temitayo Oladejo
Temitayo Oladejo
Temitayo is an experienced event photographer, entrepreneur, and brand manager. He is a graduate of French and a freelance English and French translator, tutor, and creative writer.

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4 comments

Avatar of Noire
Noire November 4, 2020 - 2:11 am

Absolutely relatable…

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Avatar of Olamide
Olamide November 4, 2020 - 6:42 am

Nice writeup

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Avatar of Akindele Azeezat
Akindele Azeezat November 4, 2020 - 8:29 pm

The writeup is so beautiful. I feel like my mind is out there.

Reply
Avatar of Gold
Gold January 11, 2021 - 11:43 am

You say it all..
Exactly what happens….
Thanks for the advice man.

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