I like men but pot bellies are a turn-off

By Angela Ndagano

When I was a little girl, there was a boy in my neighborhood nicknamed mugaga which means rich. Well this boy’s family was not rich; they actually lived in a one bed room house.

The boy had earned his nickname because he had a big swollen belly. Now when I think about it, the boy must have been malnourished.

Fast forward to 2013, the city is dotted with grown men adorned with protruding stomachs.  The puzzling thing is that there are men who are proud of these tummies.

Some rub them comfortably like a father proud of a son. Others take to the dance floor and it is the bellies that do the shaking.

It gets worse that main stream media puts pressure on women to stay in shape, look forever young and remain attractive till death.

‘Don’t let go of yourself because you are married, keep looking good for your man’, Newspapers, magazines and Radio always warn.

They often forget there is a man out there letting go because he has earned a seat at the table of men. He now earns a salary and can afford a trey of pork and a couple of beers. How do we know that? The protruding stomach is the evidence.

I remember bumping into a former schoolmate of mine who had grown a tummy the size of two basketballs.

“We are making money, don’t joke,’’ He chuckled. He was holding car keys in his left hand and two smart phones in the right.  The last three buttons on his shirt appeared to be supporting a burden that was too heavy. Before the car the keys and smart phones, he was tall with a chiseled physique—then we were in University. What God had created, money had ruined!

The truth:

Please do not shoot the messenger but there is nothing sexually attractive about a pot belly; the only thing your potbelly will attract is death. You see, the pot belly is clinically known as central obesity. It is the accumulation of abdominal fat resulting to increase in waist size. In this case the abdomen is seen to protrude excessively. So you might have millions to your name but the fact remains you are unhealthy.

I will leave those issues to the doctors but the most pressing issue is what the pot belly can do to your sex life.

“I have dated a guy with a big stomach, he was a nice guy but the sex was really uncomfortable’’, confessed a Bartender I can only identify as Vicky. Heaven knows she is right.  I can hear the girls scream; yeah!

It gets worse. According to researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (United States Of America) A drop in estrogen levels along with testosterone decrease is responsible for lower sexual functioning and decreased strength in men. Simply put: Belly fat increases the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. ‘So what?’ You ask.  This means you are actually getting more of the female hormone than the testosterone that you need to drive your prowess in the bed.

Just for the record I am not a male basher. In fact, I like men very much.  The world we would be ugly without men but the world can be more beautiful without potbellies.