When it comes to anatomy—particularly female anatomy—perhaps no body part confuses the internet more than the belly dog.
Whenever someone posts about obese women, they tend to do so with their midriffs — and a weird number of them Do After posting about it, others were quick to chime in: “It’s not fat, it’s uterus.”
In early 2024, for example, a man posted several random photos of dogs and women and said: “On behalf of all men, we hate this.”
The post went viral and the man was mocked for his silly blanket statement. many men like Dog and go for it:”[We] This clown was never authorized to speak on our behalf. Women also reacted: “On behalf of women, we don’t care.”
But as usual when these things are posted, many people weighed in, letting the man know he was ill-informed: “That’s actually our uterus. Learn human anatomy,” one woman said.
“The fat on your belly is actually your uterus [or uterus]” is a saying that continues to trend: In 2020, health influencer and nutritionist Colleen Christensen posted a photo on her No Food Rules Instagram account, assuring her followers that “ [the] The lump at the bottom of your stomach is your uterus.
Christensen shared how frustrated she was about not being able to get a flat stomach until a friend reassured her by explaining “that lump was an organ.”
Christensen quickly learned from her comments section that this was not the case: Gut Do The uterus takes up space in your body, but the uterus (the thick-walled, hollow organ where the fetus develops during pregnancy) is located in the female pelvis between the bladder and rectum, not in the stomach. (To her credit, Christensen later updated her post to provide her followers with more information.)
Dr. Lisa Erlanger, clinical professor of family medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, broke it down further in an email interview: “The skeletal part contains the uterus and the ovaries,” she said. “Women’s hips are wider and have a different slope, which naturally results in a different appearance, but the uterus is usually not in what we think of as the stomach.”
There are many other body structures in this area that we need, said Dr. Stephanie Trentacoste-McNally, director of obstetrics and gynecology services at the Katz Institute for Women’s Health.
“In our anatomy, there are many layers, from skin to fascia — the strong tissue that holds you together — muscles, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and fat,” she told The Huffington Post .
Maria Korneeva via Getty Images
But basically, your uterus won’t cause a noticeable bulge unless you’re pregnant, postpartum, or have a tumor. For example, uterine fibroids can cause the uterus to enlarge, causing a noticeable bulge.
“The uterus is at least the size of a fist, and can be larger if you have conditions like fibroids and endometriosis, and the ovaries can have benign cysts that take up space,” Erlanger explains.
Erlanger says various stages of the menstrual cycle can affect digestion and fluid balance, changing the appearance of the body, especially the abdomen.
If you’ve had surgery, the way your skin heals may also affect your dog’s life, says Trentacoste McNally: For example, about 30 percent of babies in the U.S. are born by C-section, and scars from the surgery may affect you. of health.
Bottom line: You don’t need to defend the dog.
People rush to defend belly fat – “It’s not fat; it’s fat.” That’s actually something that works! ― illustrates how insecure we are about body fat in general. In fact, women have more fatty tissue in their stomachs than men, which is completely normal.
“Under the influence of the ovaries, the body typically has a higher body fat percentage,” Erlanger said. “This is thought to have a reproductively protective function.”
She explains that during menopause, belly fat is thought to protect bones, mood, sexual function, and even brain and heart health by continuing to produce small amounts of estrogen.
Regardless, belly fat is just belly fat and there’s nothing wrong with it.
“People without a uterus can also have tummy tucks, and I have fat on the back of my arm, but there’s no uterus there,” Erlanger said.
She adds that it’s common for weight to fluctuate throughout our lives, and generally speaking, it’s healthier to live within your current size and shape than to try to shrink or change your size.
What’s the bottom line, according to our doctors? It’s not okay to have a dog because there’s a uterus there. It’s normal to have a dog that lies down.
“Having compassion for the bodies we have and committing to caring for them in ways that are consistent with our personal values, goals and circumstances is really part of the journey,” Erlanger said. This article was originally published in Huffington Post.
