It is reasonable to assume that overweight or obese individuals, who are tarnished by being highly stigmatized and subjected to various forms of prejudice and discrimination in society, do not take it lightly when publicly reprimanded; this is especially troubling for women. It is a delicate issue for them. This could be the issue with the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Psychologically, when one is overweight, they may feel frustrated, angry, or upset, and being teased can make one feel sad or embarrassed. This could be the issue with the First Lady.
When the young man, Aminu Muhammad, a Nigerian student turned Aisha into a figure of fun, an object to laugh at, and as a public agent of fun, which might make a person laugh, it was not for the overweight person like the First Lady, as losing weight can be difficult at times.
As reported in national and global news, police have arrested Aminu Muhammad, a university student studying environmental management and toxicology at the Federal University of Dutse (FUD), Jigawa State, over a post on Twitter mocking Aisha Buhari.
The tweet, which was posted in Hausa, read: “Su mama anchi kudin talkawa ankoshi.” A picture of Aisha was posted with the tweet to match the practical joke.
The tweet loosely translates as “Mama has eaten poor people’s money and is now full.” Those words are biting, and they sting.
According to media reports, the student was arrested and taken to the presidential quarters at Aso Rock, where he was supposedly beaten.
The prosecutors alleged in the charge sheet that Mohammed posted a picture of Aisha Buhari and wrote in Hausa words that roughly translated as defaming the First Lady and accusing her of fraud. That remains debatable. Mohammed is apparently now in detention.
Aisha Buhari is a person of influence, and as such, the case has become highly politicized by the terrible response by the First Lady, who sees this as dark humor. Jokes that cross the line. It could certainly be so.
The world awaits the outcome of the case involving the nation’s First Lady and an ordinary citizen.
Even if this whole matter causes a national nightmare for Aisha Buhari and her husband, there is something to learn from this health-related crisis called overweightness.
Like everywhere else in the world, there is an obesity crisis in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, mainly among people with higher levels of education and income and women. Psychologically and clinically, I do not know if Aisha, as a black woman, is battling obesity or how she is coping with the perception of being overweight.
But what the First Lady needs to know is that overweight women who struggle with negative messages about their bodies are at greater risk for both physical and psychological health problems.
As for the First Lady, pictures of her face and body being seen and discussed all over the nation and in global media could lead to more stress for her as it is all about fat shaming and she has been directly stigmatized.
Inadvertently or indirectly, this matter has energized the topic of unhealthy levels of body fat.
Obesity or being overweight is known to increase the risk of several debilitating and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
It does this through a variety of pathways, some as straightforward as the routine stress of carrying extra pounds and some involving complex changes in hormones and metabolism.
It causes psychological issues. Studies have found that adults with excess weight have a higher lifetime risk of developing depression compared to people who do not struggle with obesity or are not overweight.
Even being overweight has been linked with significant increases in severe, disturbing mood swings, sometimes known as bipolar disorder, and it has resulted in severe anxiety conditions like panic disorder or agoraphobia, meaning an irrational fear of living at home or being in public places where escape is difficult.
Obesity or being overweight has been linked to eating disorders and substance abuse, including an overdependence on coffee or even tea.
Obesity impacts individuals’ quality of life, with many sufferers experiencing increased stigma and discrimination because of their weight.
For emphasis, corpulence, obesity, or overweight, meaning carrying extra fat, has been seen as possibly leading to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), sleep apnea and breathing problems, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).
It should be particularly known that overweight or obese individuals have been known to harbor unresolved anger, laziness, and overindulgence, and anger has been linked to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, skin disorders, and digestive problems. The First Lady’s got to be careful here.
It is unfortunate but a blessing in disguise that these mass health issues, known to cause all sorts of health challenges and complications, including deaths, will become a national story with the First Lady at the center.
The student is reportedly almost done with his degree in environmental toxicology, which is the study of the health effects associated with exposure to toxic chemicals occurring in natural, work, and living environments.
He stands as a good partner to the First Lady, as it is known that the incidence of overweightness may be partly attributable to environmental chemical exposures.
From the standpoint of health psychology, it is well known that environmental and genetic influences on obesity are difficult to eliminate; therefore, it is critical to show sensitivity and compassion to those who are overweight.
The student, who is well-versed in social media and scientific works, could collaborate with the First Lady to develop a weight-loss app for overweight people, particularly women, by teaching healthy eating, water consumption, and moderate exercise.
They can call the weight loss program whatever they want, but it should include instructor-led cardio and stretching movements.
Mohammed is likely upset that the first lady is not using her rich and well-connected position to reduce corruption, income inequality, and poverty.
He is likely disappointed that the First Lady, who has been given power, is not actively assisting vulnerable women and youths, especially in order to reduce stagnant economic development and help strengthen democracy.
With only a few months until the First Lady and her husband leave the Presidential Villa in Abuja, it will be part of her legacy through Mohammed to promote a healthy lifestyle, nutrition education and diet program and establish lifestyle recommendations for weight management that may influence future generations.
This case legally will go nowhere, but it is essential that Mohammed, when he returns to school, which he will, stop openly joking that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is feeding fat on poor people’s money. We all deserve respect. Do not laugh at people, women especially, and he should join the First Lady in advancing women’s causes in African settings known for severe gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of their fundamental rights by mostly men. The First Lady and her husband have enough huge political, economic, and social challenges, so she should stop allowing this “yeye,” or simple story, to keep filtering out, as it gives her and the President bad names globally.
It makes them look like individuals ruling the country through unbound exploitation, abuse of power, and authoritarianism. As things stand, Mohammed is a social prisoner, and Nigerians under Buhari’s presidency should simply let him go; they should release him now.
Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He is currently a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. His most recent textbook publication is Concise Psychology: An Integrated Forensic Approach to Psychology for Global African Settings.
