First and foremost, let's kick this off by saying that bloating is nothing to be ashamed of (and can be caused by multiple things, ranging from a food intolerance to periods). At one point or another, it's likely we've all experienced it – and that includes Danae Mercer (a brilliant writer, Cosmopolitan Middle East columnist and self love activist), who recently shared her experiences with her 1.3 million followers.
Danae, whose feed is all about openly discussing the 'tricks' many use online (angles, lighting, apps etc) to change their appearance, also asked an important question in her post: do you squeeze your tummy in all the time? Until stumbling across her page, I'd never really thought about it, but actually, the answer is yes. I'm constantly breathing in, so as not to look bloated, and deliberately avoid tight-fitting clothes. And maybe you do too? Being asked to think about it so directly was a real wake-up call.
"Do you squeeze in your tummy all the time? I realised this month that I do it CONSTANTLY. I’m always trying to hide my bloat," wrote Danae, adding a reminder that while a small amount of bloating is par for the course, consistent or painful bloating isn't. "That’s why I’m on this gut healing journey. I want to understand and fix whatever’s going on, not just squeeze away the symptoms. Because while some bloating is normal, when it’s excessive or painful, it’s not."
She continued, "Honestly I’m not sure if dairy is the problem (like this sort of silly picture suggests). Or if it’s gluten. Or too much bacteria. Or not enough. And it seems like there are a thousand and one different solutions. But I’m learning." This is such an important reminder too, that it's so easy to focus on covering up a problem (underneath loose slip dresses...) rather than getting to the root cause of it, like Danae is trying to now.
"This week I got my SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and gut health tests back. The results shocked me. I’ll talk about them, but not yet — I want to meet with the doctor first to understand the implications and next steps," Danae continued. "For now, I’d be just happy to hear your stories below. It’s nice to know I’m not alone on this journey and that we’re in this together."
Thank you to Danae for the much-needed reminder that consistent, painful bloating isn't normal (and that your GP can help discover why), but neither is feeling like you have to suck your stomach in 24/7 to fit in with beauty 'ideals'.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
