Demand for weight-loss treatments in Kenya is rising as changing social attitudes, growing health concerns, and online visibility push more people toward surgical procedures and prescription drugs such as Ozempic.
At the Nairobi Bariatric Center in the capital, doctor Lyudmila Shchukina now runs a full schedule of patients seeking medical help to reduce weight. The clinic, founded about 30 years ago by Shchukina and her late husband, both originally from Ukraine, was once nearly empty.
When the facility began operating, Shchukina said it struggled to attract clients despite being one of the first clinics in Kenya offering weight-loss surgery. Today the center sees between 10 and 15 patients each day.
“It’s a boom,” she told the BBC at the end of a work shift.
Changing Social Attitudes Toward Weight
The increase reflects a shift in how weight is perceived in Kenya. Being overweight was previously viewed by some as a sign of wealth and success. According to Shchukina, many people now associate excess weight more closely with health risks.
“Kenyans are now discovering that obesity is not a sign of wealth, it’s about health,” she said.
Health officials have also raised concerns about rising obesity levels. A 2022 survey found that in urban areas just over half of women and about a quarter of men were either overweight or obese. In rural areas the figures were 39% of women and 14% of men.
Shchukina said many patients seek help for medical reasons, including high blood pressure, infertility, diabetes, joint pain, and back problems. Others say excess weight has reduced their overall quality of life.
Social pressure has also become a factor. On Kenyan social media, users often criticize or mock people for their appearance. Some individuals have been told to “unfat,” a phrase used online to tell someone to lose weight.
Political activist Francis Gaitho reported cyberbullying related to his weight, and several commenters responded by telling him to “unfat.”
Beauty expert Yvonne Kanyi said expectations around body shape, particularly for women, have long existed. What has changed, she said, is the influence of celebrity culture and online visibility.
She explained that social media exposure has made medical procedures for body shaping appear more common.
“Celebrity culture has amplified the trend, normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image,” said Kanyi, who runs a skincare and cosmetics business and frequently discusses beauty and entrepreneurship.
She also noted that many women now feel more comfortable making decisions about their bodies without seeking approval from others.
Influencers Share Personal Weight-Loss Experiences
Several Kenyan influencers have publicly documented their weight-loss journeys, drawing both praise and criticism online.
Naomi Kuria, a 27-year-old content creator, began trying to lose weight in 2024 through gym workouts. After five months she said she had gained additional weight and developed knee pain.
Alternative suggestions included swimming or dieting, but she said she wanted faster results.
“How long will I swim to lose a kg really?” she asked.
Kuria eventually sought medical advice and began using Ozempic, a prescription drug used in diabetes treatment that is also prescribed for long-term weight management. Other similar medications include Mounjaro and Wegovy.
The drug contains semaglutide and works by affecting hormones that control appetite and how quickly the stomach empties. It is administered as an injection.
Kuria said the treatment helped her lose 11kg in about six weeks.
In Kenya, Ozempic is only available through prescription. She said she spent 80,000 Kenyan shillings, equivalent to about $620 or £465, to obtain the medication.
Despite experiencing severe nausea, which she described as “throwing up like crazy,” she said the results were noticeable.
“Every part of my body was really defined,” she said.
Cosmetic Procedures And Public Reaction
After losing weight with the medication, Kuria chose to undergo an additional cosmetic procedure known as airsculpt. The treatment is a form of liposuction used to reshape the body.
The procedure removed fat from her stomach and transferred it to her legs.
In total she said she spent about 700,000 Kenyan shillings, around $5,400 or £4,000, on the surgery.
The decision drew criticism from some followers on social media. Several people questioned why she would undergo the procedure when they believed she already had an ideal body shape.
One commenter wrote that she had “decided to compete with God.”
Kuria said the negative comments affected her initially.
“I’m trending and everyone is talking about me and not even one person is making a positive comment,” she said.
She added that she sometimes responded angrily to critical comments.
“If you’re rude to me, I get rude to you,” she said.
Kuria described the procedures as personal decisions and said she remained satisfied with the outcome.
Medical And Mental Health Considerations
Ciru Muriuki, a journalist and content creator, also discussed her own weight-loss experience on the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.
She said people who are overweight frequently face bullying both online and in person.
“When I speak to people who are on the heavier side, they talk about being body-shamed, bullied physically and cyber-bullied,” Muriuki said.
Her first medical intervention was a gastric balloon procedure. The treatment places a silicone balloon inside the stomach to limit how much food it can hold and create a sense of fullness. The balloon is typically removed after about six months.
Muriuki said her health later deteriorated in early 2024 following the death of her fiancé. She rapidly lost weight in an unhealthy way and later regained some of it.
She then turned to weight-loss injections prescribed by a medical professional.
She rejected the suggestion that she was seeking shortcuts.
“It was never like that,” she said.
Medical Experts Warn About Risks
Doctors say diet control and exercise remain the most common recommendations for weight management.
However, Dr Alvin Mondoh, a Kenyan weight-management specialist, said some individuals require medical assistance because weight gain can result from factors beyond personal control.
“People still do need help,” he said.
Mondoh added that concerns have emerged over the use of weight-loss injections for cosmetic purposes.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen in the recent past is a growing trend of people using it for vanity reasons,” he said.
He also warned about the risks of purchasing medications outside regulated medical channels.
At the Nairobi Bariatric Center, weight-loss services include surgery, prescription medication, and counselling. Packages can cost up to $7,000, roughly £5,000.
Such prices place treatment beyond the reach of many people in the country.
Kuria said her own treatments cost about $6,000.
She cautioned that the financial, physical, and social consequences should be considered before undergoing the procedures.
“You will pay the cost of recovery, which is not easy,” she said. “You will pay the cost of stigma, society stigma. It’s a shortcut that is never short.”
Regulators Warn About Unsupervised Drug Use
Kenya’s drug regulator has also raised concerns.
In August last year, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board issued a public safety warning about weight-loss drugs containing semaglutide.
“Semaglutide is a prescription-only medicine and its unsupervised or off-label use may result in serious health concerns,” the agency said.
One fitness influencer was also warned to stop promoting places where followers could purchase cheaper injections outside licensed clinics.
Mondoh said desperation to lose weight may make some individuals vulnerable to scams and unsafe products.
Despite the warnings, rising obesity levels and increasing interest in rapid weight-loss methods suggest that demand for medical treatments is likely to remain strong.
Featured image credits: SDBotox
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