It was a touching, intimate and honest moment - captured on video and shared on Instagram.
In the clip, fitness influencer Lilylifts laments to a male friend in the gym, gesturing to her lower belly: 'I always look bloated here...'
She tells him she does not understand why, no matter how hard she diets, the 'fat... just doesn't go'.
'That's not fat,' replies the unnamed man. 'Your uterus is there... it's the most amazing part of the human body.'
To emphasise his point, he adds: 'It's not a bump, it's a blessing.'
Lilylifts smiles warmly, clearly reassured. The caption on screen - signalling her thoughts at that moment then read 'stops overthinking so much'.
His reaction to her very common worry is undoubtedly what propelled the post into the social-media stratosphere.
In just a few months, the clip has been viewed more than 172million times, attracting around 6.7million likes and nearly 42,000 comments.
'We need more men like this gentleman,' wrote one viewer, summing up the general mood. 'Who is this king and how can we thank his parents?' exclaimed another.
The video resonated with so many women because Lilylifts was voicing something that millions quietly worry about.
The anxiety that not having a perfectly flat stomach must reflect a personal failing - a lack of discipline, willpower or effort - is deeply ingrained. Seeing that fear voiced out loud, and met not with judgment but reassurance, struck a powerful chord.
As a GP with a special interest in women's health, I too salute the sentiment - at the very least. Thanks to social media, over the past few years I've learned at least half a dozen new and vaguely derogatory names for women's stomachs that aren't rigid and flat: mummy tummy, pooch and (a personal least favourite) FUPA - which stands for 'fat upper pubic area'.
Even globally famous mothers - from Kylie Jenner, who publicly clapped back at body-shaming comments about her post-baby figure, to Rihanna, whose pregnancy silhouette has sparked speculation online, and Beyonce - are subject to relentless public commentary, often from men, about their bodies.
And if they're not deemed 'good enough', what hope is there for the rest of us? So a handsome man reassuring Lilylifts in that viral video that her body is a blessing came as a welcome relief.
However, not all the reaction was wholly positive - and rightly so. Because while undoubtedly well-meaning, Lilylifts’ friend made some anatomical errors.
What’s more, many doctors were quick to explain how a protruding lower belly that persists no matter what you do can sometimes signal a serious health problem - and should not simply be dismissed.
The truth about female anatomy
In the viral clip, Lilylifts’ friend says that the uterus sits in front of the intestines so when you eat, food filling the bowel pushes the womb forwards, creating a visible ‘bump’. While well-intentioned, this is not anatomically correct.
If you are not pregnant, the uterus sits deep inside the pelvis, not up in the abdomen. It measures around 6cm to 8cm in length on average and is roughly the size and shape of an upside-down pear.
It sits behind the pubic bone and below the level of the intestines - which means it cannot be seen or felt from the outside.
So food moving through the bowel does not push the uterus forwards. Unless you are pregnant, or have a condition that enlarges the womb such as fibroids, the curve or rounding of the lower abdomen is simply not your uterus.
Pregnancy naturally leads to a bump in the later stages, but body shape does not always return to its pre-pregnancy state.
The female pelvis itself is shaped differently to the male pelvis. It is wider, shallower and tilted further forwards, creating a naturally more curved silhouette. This anatomical difference alone explains why many women have a softer contour in the lower abdomen, even when slim and physically fit.
Women also naturally carry a higher percentage of body fat than men. A healthy range for women is around 25 to 30 per cent, compared with roughly 18 to 24 per cent for men.
This fat tissue is essential for hormone production, fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding and organ protection among women. In fact, having too little body fat can disrupt or stop periods altogether.
Oestrogen also affects where fat is stored as it encourages deposition around the hips, thighs and lower abdomen. This contributes to the gentle rounding many women notice - and is entirely normal.
Feeling bloated at certain points in the menstrual cycle is also extremely common. Changes in hormones affect fluid balance and digestion.
Hormonal contraception can have similar effects in some women. Importantly, fluid retention is not fat gain - it is temporary and fluctuates.
During the menopause, changing hormone levels can alter where fat is deposited, with many women noticing more weight settling around the abdomen.
Women who have had one or more Caesarean sections may notice a so-called 'C-section shelf', which is caused by scar tissue, stretched skin, underlying fat and fluid.
How to tell if something is wrong
It is important to distinguish a normal lower-abdominal curve from a change that may need medical assessment.
A healthy, anatomical curve tends to be soft, symmetrical and long-standing - and does not rapidly change in size or shape.
It may fluctuate slightly with weight, hormones or the menstrual cycle, but this should not be associated with pain or other symptoms.
To contrast, there are signs that the curve should be checked such as new or progressive abdominal swelling, a firm or hard lump, visible asymmetry or a sensation of pressure and fullness or discomfort that does not come and go.
Red flags include persistent bloating, pelvic pain, changes in periods, feeling full more quickly than usual, unexplained weight loss or changes in bowel or bladder habits.
If something feels different from your normal, lasts more than a few weeks or is getting worse rather than better, it is worth seeing your GP.
Digestive causes - bloating and the bowel
While the uterus sits in the pelvis, the intestines occupy much of the abdomen and digestive issues are a very common cause of lower-belly bloating.
Female hormones, particularly progesterone, slow digestion at certain points in the menstrual cycle, increasing the likelihood of constipation and abdominal distension. This can make the lower abdomen feel tight, swollen or visibly more rounded, especially later in the day.
Conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects around one in ten people, can cause bloating, cramping and abdominal swelling, often easing after opening the bowels. Dietary triggers, food intolerances and stress all play a role, and symptoms tend to fluctuate rather than remain constant.
Fibroids - common, and often misunderstood
Fibroids are benign growths of the muscle of the womb and affect up to one in three women during their lifetime.
They can cause the uterus to enlarge, sometimes leading to a feeling of pelvic heaviness or pressure, heavier or more painful periods, lower back pain and, in some cases, a visible or palpable lower-abdominal bulge. The abdomen may feel firm rather than soft.
Not all fibroids cause symptoms, and many are discovered incidentally during scans for other reasons.
Ovarian cysts - usually harmless, occasionally serious
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop on the ovaries and are very common, particularly in women of reproductive age.
Most cause no symptoms and resolve on their own. Larger cysts, however, can cause lower-abdominal bloating, a feeling of fullness or pressure on one side, pelvic pain, discomfort during sex or changes in periods. Because the ovaries sit low in the pelvis, these symptoms are often felt in the lower abdomen.
When bloating needs checking - could it be cancer?
Although bloating is common and usually harmless, persistent bloating that does not come and go should never be ignored.
Ongoing abdominal swelling can be a symptom of ovarian cancer, particularly when accompanied by feeling full more quickly than usual, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, pelvic or abdominal pain or changes in bladder or bowel habits. Early assessment is crucial because symptoms can be subtle and easily dismissed.
What to do - and what happens next:
- If bloating lasts more than a few weeks, is worsening rather than fluctuating, or is associated with other symptoms, book a GP appointment. Your doctor will usually ask about symptom duration and patterns, examine your abdomen and may arrange blood tests or an ultrasound scan. If ovarian cancer is suspected, you will be referred urgently to a specialist team for further tests, such as scans and specialist blood tests.
- If cancer is ruled out, reassurance and appropriate treatment for the underlying cause can be offered.
- If it is confirmed, early referral means earlier treatment, which significantly improves health outcomes.
Know what's normal for YOUR body
Occasional bloating that fluctuates with your menstrual cycle, diet or stress is common. Changes that are persistent, progressive or associated with pain or other symptoms should prompt medical advice.
There is no supplement, food, medication or exercise that can target fat loss from one specific body part. The idea that women should have perfectly flat stomachs is patriarchal, misogynistic and, frankly, dangerous.
You do not need to eat less, buy a treatment or shrink yourself to meet an impossible ideal. For many women, a rounded lower abdomen is simply part of normal anatomy.