Vein that changed Tike’s life

DAR ES SALAAM: WHEN nurses struggled to find a vein in Tike Mwambipile’s arm during a hospital visit, she realised her weight had become more than a number on a scale.

That moment pushed the Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) Director to make a decision that would transform not only her body, but also her health, confidence and outlook on life.

For many people, losing weight begins with a desire to look better in the mirror or fit into smaller clothes. But for those carrying excess weight, it can become an important step towards preventing serious health problems before they take hold.

The challenge is growing across the world. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2.5 billion adults were overweight in 2022, while more than 890 million were living with obesity.

That means about 43 percent of adults worldwide were overweight and 16 per cent were obese.

The trend is also evident at home. Ministry of Health data shows that 31.7 per cent of women aged 15 to 59 are overweight or obese, while findings from the 2023 STEP Survey put obesity among adults in the same age group at 10.1 per cent.

For Tike, however, the statistics became personal long before she knew the numbers.

During one hospital visit, healthcare workers struggled to administer an injection because they could not easily locate a vein in her arm. The experience left a lasting impression and became the wake-up call she needed.

“When I went to hospital, they were looking for veins in my arm so they could give me an injection, but they could not find them because there was so much flesh,” she recalls.

At the time, the scale had already passed 100 kilogrammes, although she prefers not to disclose her exact weight because it was something that made her feel ashamed.

The physical changes were only part of the struggle, as her confidence had also begun to disappear.

Even after dressing well or styling her hair, she no longer liked what she saw in the mirror.

She says she experienced depression, stress and the early signs of what she describes as lifestyle diseases, making her realise that the problem was becoming much bigger than appearance.

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“I would look at myself in the mirror and I was not happy. I became depressed, and my health also started developing those diseases of affluence, non-communicable diseases,” she says.

According to WHO, overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and musculoskeletal problems, with the risk rising as body mass index increases.

For Tike, losing weight was no longer about becoming slim, but about protecting her future health.

The first change she made was not to her diet or exercise routine, but to her mindset.

She realised she needed professional support and began working with a nutritionist and a mental health specialist to build habits she could sustain over time.

Working with a nutritionist changed how she viewed food. Instead of eliminating rice or ugali, she learnt that portion control mattered more than removing familiar foods from her plate, while balanced meals with enough protein became an important part of her routine.

“I have never stopped eating rice, and even today I have not stopped eating ugali. I have never given up those foods. What I stopped doing was serving myself too much food,” she says.

Unlike many people searching for quick fixes, Tike deliberately avoided crash diets. She began making changes in 2024 and says lasting results require patience rather than unrealistic expectations.

“It has not been a crash diet. No. I started in 2024, so I think it is about patience. The most important thing is patience. If you want quick results, you will not achieve these results,” she says.

Another habit she had to develop was drinking enough water. Following guidance from her nutritionist, she gradually increased her water intake to about four or five litres a day, a significant adjustment for someone who previously did not enjoy drinking water.

Exercise also became part of her lifestyle, but in a way that suited her personality.

Since she was not enthusiastic about going to the gym, her specialist encouraged her to begin with something simpler and easier to maintain. Walking became her daily routine.

“Every time I eat, I have to walk for 10 minutes,” she says.

Whether outdoors or simply moving around her living room after dinner, the habit became so natural that her children sometimes join her.

She also enjoys swimming, uses dumbbells at home and takes advantage of opportunities to do strength training whenever she visits a gym.

Her progress, however, has not been without setbacks. Last year, she developed a leg problem that became severe enough for her to use a walking stick, a challenge she says was partly linked to mistakes she had made regarding food and exercise.

After receiving medical treatment, she continued adjusting her diet under professional guidance and incorporated supplements recommended as part of her care, including vitamin D, a multivitamin and omega-3.

The experience reminded her that reducing food alone is not enough, because the body still needs proper nutrition and appropriate physical activity.

One lesson she now shares are that progress should not be measured by the scale alone.

Sometimes, she says, the numbers change slowly, yet clothes begin fitting differently, offering another sign that the body is responding.

The difference has been remarkable. She says she has moved from a US size 24 to a US size 14, although she sometimes still wears size 16 depending on the clothing.

“My goal was to reach size 14 or 16, and I have now managed to reach that,” she says.

Perhaps the greatest transformation has happened beyond her wardrobe.

As she continued working with a mental health professional, interests she had lost during difficult periods gradually returned, including her love of reading books.

“My interest in reading books has started to come back,” she says.

She also began creating space for activities that brought her joy, from watching movies to spending time with young people and children.

Those moments, she says, became just as important as healthier eating and regular exercise.

Today, Tike still considers herself a work in progress. She has not reached her final goal, but she now understands her body better and has embraced habits she believes she can maintain for life.

Her advice to anyone considering losing weight is simple: do not starve yourself or chase overnight results. Instead, start early, seek professional guidance where possible and focus on building a healthier lifestyle that can last.

WHO also describes obesity as a chronic disease that requires long-term prevention and management, stressing that measures to prevent excessive weight gain should begin before serious health complications develop.

Looking back, Tike wishes she had acted before her body forced her to pay attention.

Now, she hopes others will not wait until they end up in hospital before making a change. “What I did was not complicated science; it was changing my lifestyle,” she says.