Weight-loss treatments boom as Kenyan attitudes to beauty change

"It's a 'boom', the doctor tells the BBC one evening at the end of her shift."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"Now… the fashion is [to be] slim, tiny… You can see how it is changing."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

""How long will I swim to lose a kg really?""

— Naomi Kuria , Influencer

"Kenyans are now discovering that obesity is not a sign of wealth, it's about health."

— Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"What has changed is the celebrity culture which has now amplified the trend, normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

"Garbage in, garbage out."

— Stewart Heri , Celebrity

"Nimetoka katika shimo refu sana."

— Stewart Heri , Celebrity

"I help women lose weight. They call me Nutri Mama."

— Barbra Aaron , Other

"I post my body the way it is because I’m tired of pretending I’m an aesthetic picture."

— Janet Mukami , Influencer

"Sometimes body positivity feels like we’re lying to ourselves. Health matters. We shouldn’t pretend everything is fine just to feel good online."

— Joseph Wafula , Other

"It's a 'boom', the doctor tells the BBC one evening at the end of her shift."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"now… the fashion is [to be] slim, tiny… You can see how it is changing."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"what has changed is the celebrity culture which has now amplified the trend, 'normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image'."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

""How long will I swim to lose a kg really?" she asks."

— Naomi Kuria , Influencer

"It's a 'boom', the doctor tells the BBC one evening at the end of her shift."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"Now… the fashion is [to be] slim, tiny… You can see how it is changing."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

"It's a 'boom', the doctor tells the BBC one evening at the end of her shift."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"More women are now feeling empowered to make decisions about their body 'without apology'."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

"How long will I swim to lose a kg really?"

— Naomi Kuria , Influencer

"It's a 'boom', the doctor tells the BBC one evening at the end of her shift."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"What has changed is the celebrity culture which has now amplified the trend, 'normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image'."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

""How long will I swim to lose a kg really?" she asks."

— Naomi Kuria , Influencer

"Kenyans are now 'discovering that obesity is not a sign of wealth, it's about health'."

— Dr Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"Kenyans are now discovering that obesity is not a sign of wealth, it’s about health."

— Lyudmila Shchukina , Executive

"Celebrity culture has amplified the trend, normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image."

— Yvonne Kanyi , Celebrity

"How long will I swim to lose a kg really?"

— Naomi Kuria , Influencer

"obesity is not simply a matter of individual choices, but is deeply rooted in environmental, social, and economic factors"

— Dr. Caroline Mithi , Academic