There is a sentence some people throw around so casually that they hardly pause to think about it: “Ei, your tummy is big ooh!”
It may come with laughter. Sometimes it is said as a “joke.” Other times it is disguised as friendly teasing. But to many women, especially mothers, it lands like a quiet insult.
Let’s be honest: commenting on a woman’s belly is not funny. It is rude, insensitive, and often deeply irresponsible.
What many people forget is that bodies tell stories we cannot see.
That “big tummy” you are pointing at might not be about food or weight. It could be fibroids. It could be a medical condition. It could be a body still adjusting after childbirth. Or simply genetics. Not every woman is built with a flat stomach, and not every protruding belly is the result of overeating.
Some women are fortunate to regain their pre-pregnancy bodies quickly. Others try everything and still struggle. And when careless comments are added to that struggle, it can create real emotional and psychological harm.
Think about it: that same tummy may have carried life for nine months. Maybe once. Maybe twice. Maybe even more.
That is not something to mock. That is something to respect.
Pregnancy alone puts a woman’s body through intense hormonal changes, physical strain, and long-term adjustments. Motherhood does not come with a reset button for the body. Yet society often expects women to “bounce back” instantly and then mocks them when they can’t.
That expectation is unfair.
Body shaming is wrong, no matter who it comes from,a husband, boyfriend, colleague, relative, boss, or even a stranger. But perhaps the most painful attacks come from other women. Since women understand these struggles better than anyone else, such words can cut even deeper.
The truth is simple: every one of us has something about our body that could easily become the subject of ridicule. A scar. A stretch mark. A shape we did not choose.
Before pointing out someone’s body, ask yourself a simple question: would I like someone to say this about me?
If the answer is no, perhaps the kinder choice is silence.
Respect costs nothing, and sometimes the most beautiful gift you can give another woman is the comfort of not being judged by her body.
