it wasn’t junk food, so why was i gaining weight?

I didn’t realise I was gaining weight at first. It wasn’t sudden. It was gradual. One year you’re fine, the next your clothes feel tight, and you tell yourself it’s stress, age, or just “life.”

In Kenya, it normal to gain weight. Most of us are busy trying to survive, work, family, traffic, bills. Health becomes something you promise yourself you’ll deal with later.

My days looked like this: skipping breakfast because I was late, grabbing something quick near the office for lunch, then eating a heavy supper late at night. Ugali, rice, chapati, proper Kenyan food. Nothing crazy. I kept telling myself I wasn’t eating junk, so I must be okay.

Exercise was just walking to the matatu stage and back. I didn’t feel sick, just tired more often. So I ignored it.

Then the comments started. At family gatherings, someone would casually say I’d added weight. Another person would say I looked “healthy.” In Kenya, weight comments come with no filter, and you’re expected to laugh it off.

But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. I got tired easily. My back hurt. I felt heavy all the time.

The truth is, obesity doesn’t come from one big mistake. It comes from small habits repeated every day.

Eating late. Large portions. Sitting for long hours. Stress. Poor sleep. None of it feels dangerous on its own, but over time, it adds up. The scary part is that many people feel fine until they’re suddenly dealing with high blood pressure or diabetes.

What I learned is that obesity isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline. It’s about how our bodies respond to the lives we live. Kenyan life is fast, stressful, and not always friendly to healthy routines. That doesn’t mean we give up, it means we need proper guidance, not opinions from relatives or random advice online.

That’s why platforms like Zuri Health matter. You can talk to a doctor who understands your lifestyle, your food, your reality. No judgement. No long hospital queues. Just a simple, honest conversation about your health and what you can realistically change.

If you’ve been noticing changes in your weight and telling yourself you’ll deal with it later, maybe later is now.