Weight loss hype: The dangerous myths Kenyans are falling for
Perhaps the most controversial trend is the rise in diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro being flaunted as weight loss miracles.
When it comes to the quest for weight loss, the struggle is real, especially for women who aspire to a slimmer figure. A protruding belly is often met with disdain as if it’s a life sentence. This was the exhausting race Roselyne Moraa found herself in after giving birth.
Before pregnancy, Moraa had the coveted figure-eight shape that turned heads. But after childbirth, she was left with a stubborn belly that refused to go away.
Determined to reclaim her former body, she embarked on a relentless journey to shed the extra weight. From tying her stomach tightly with lessos in the hope of flattening it to battling the challenges of breastfeeding, her weight loss attempts quickly became a frustrating cycle. Instead of slimming down, she found herself gaining even more weight.
"I wasn’t too worried about it at first," she recalls. "But then, everyone started pointing it out — my husband, my parents, my friends – it became a constant reminder that I had gained weight."
Desperate to silence the remarks, Moraa took every piece of advice thrown her way.
She started running every morning, cut out sugar, took up skipping rope and tried intermittent fasting. She boiled guava leaves, experimented with one-meal-a-day diets, and scrolled through endless weight-loss remedies online.
"I tried so many things, but the more I tried, the less they worked. It only made me feel worse."
Like many others, she would eagerly try a new solution she found online, only to realise after a week or two that it wasn’t working. Frustrated, she’d abandon it and move on to the next quick fix.
Exercising
Eventually, Moraa grew tired of spending money on ineffective methods. She decided to embrace the slow but sure route — the dreaded exercise. Five years later, she looks back with pride, having built a healthier body and a stronger mindset.
Research indicates that social media has become a primary source of information, with millions of people worldwide turning to online platforms for quick solutions.
Many blindly trust and adopt products promoted by influencers without verifying their safety or effectiveness. Like sponges, they absorb this information without question, often implementing extreme or unproven strategies in the hopes of achieving quick results.
In Kenya, as lifestyle diseases continue to rise, many individuals are resorting to unverified remedies and medications to manage weight gain. This growing trend has raised serious concerns among health experts, who warn of the potential dangers associated with these quick fixes
From miracle teas to extreme diets, the internet is overflowing with weight loss strategies that promise quick results. Social media is flooded with influencers flaunting their transformations, promoting unconventional weight loss methods — some effective, others outright bizarre.
One of the most popular trends is the "lemon and warm water" detox, where enthusiasts claim that drinking lemon water before breakfast "melts fat."
One meal-a-day
Then there's the one meal-a-day challenge, where dieters eat just once in 24 hours, posting massive meal photos with captions like, “discipline is key!” Experts warn that such extreme fasting can lead to binge eating and nutritional deficiencies.
The cabbage soup diet has also resurfaced, with influencers swearing by eating only cabbage soup for rapid weight loss, despite warnings that most of the weight lost is just water.
Meanwhile, waist training remains a favourite, with celebrities endorsing tight corsets to shrink waistlines — despite doctors warning of organ compression.
Perhaps the most controversial trend is the rise in diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro being flaunted as weight loss miracles. Social media influencers and celebrities showcase dramatic transformations, crediting these medications, originally meant for managing diabetes, for their slim figures.
Some non-diabetic users are even sourcing these injections privately, ignoring the risks of severe side effects like nausea, muscle loss, and rebound weight gain once they stop using them.
Bizarre trends
Other bizarre trends include the ice cube diet where people suck on ice to suppress hunger, and viral apple cider vinegar shots, promising to “burn belly fat instantly”.
Despite the hype, many of these trends fizzle out as fast as they appear.
Experts continue to emphasise that sustainable weight loss still comes down to healthy eating, exercise, and patience. But with social media’s obsession with quick fixes, a new fad is always just around the corner.
Dr Lilian Mumina, a nutritionist, dietician, and CEO of Mumina Wellness Solutions, is raising the alarm about the growing trend of Kenyans blindly trusting online weight loss solutions. She warns that while the internet provides a wealth of information, not all of it is accurate or safe.
“Kenyans need to take online information with a pinch of salt. Before trying any weight loss product, it’s crucial to conduct a background check — look into the product’s regulations, whether it has been banned in other countries, and whether it has been approved by health authorities,” she cautions.
According to Mumina, many products being marketed as weight loss solutions are either unregulated, banned in other countries, or lack transparency in their ingredients. Some promise rapid results without any scientific backing, making them both unsustainable and potentially dangerous. Consumers, she advises, should go beyond simply checking the expiry date and instead scrutinize ingredient lists and the manufacturing process to ensure they are not exposing themselves to harmful substances.
Shortcuts to weight loss
Many Kenyans prefer shortcuts to weight loss, but Mumina stresses that exercise and discipline remain paramount in achieving sustainable results. She points to cases where individuals have turned to medications like Ozempic — an injectable drug designed for diabetes management — but experienced rapid weight gain once they stopped using it.
Ozempic works by triggering the brain’s hunger centre to reduce appetite, but it should only be used as a prescribed medication for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) above 30 who have tried all other methods unsuccessfully.
She warns that Ozempic is not a weight loss product and comes with side effects such as stomach issues like bloating and nausea, excessive weight loss leading to muscle loss and weakness, and rebound weight gain after stopping the medication. This, she notes, makes it unsuitable for those seeking short-term weight loss solutions without a structured medical plan.
Mumina advocates for a natural, whole-food-based approach to weight management, emphasising that simple lifestyle changes yield better results than quick fixes.
Reducing sugar intake, maintaining gut health, engaging in regular exercise and consuming whole-fibre foods provide sustainable benefits compared to relying on shortcuts.
She adds that whole grains, natural acids and fibre act as natural Ozempic alternatives, supporting metabolism and appetite control without the risks associated with prescription medication. Proper hydration, high-quality protein intake, meal planning and consistent exercise are key factors in long-term weight management.
Excessive protein consumption
She also raises concerns about misleading weight loss advice circulating online. For example, she warns that excessive protein consumption — often promoted as a weight loss strategy — can lead to obesity if not properly balanced.
Extreme fasting methods that eliminate essential nutrients like Vitamin B can result in deficiencies, exposing individuals to a host of health complications.
She urges Kenyans to conduct thorough research before adopting dietary trends, cautioning that solutions designed for other populations may not be suitable for Kenya’s unique health and lifestyle conditions.
“For instance, a single Ozempic injection costs around Sh70,000. How many people can afford that sustainably? And more importantly, what research has been done to confirm its long-term effectiveness for weight loss? These are the questions Kenyans often overlook,” she says.
Mumina stresses that today’s generation is exposed to numerous lifestyle diseases, but with the right information and a scientific approach, individuals can make informed decisions. She believes that following proper research, exercising regularly and adhering to expert guidance is far more effective than chasing unverified quick fixes.
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