This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ese Milan, a 25-year-old content creator in Las Vegas, in the state of Nevada in the US. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My whole life, I have been a bigger person. I come from a Polynesian Samoan household, and my whole family is bigger, so I always thought it was normal. It was what I was used to.
But in 2021, I got sick and needed to see a doctor for the first time in years. The doctor told me I weighed 412 pounds (187kg). I was taken aback when I heard the number.
After that initial appointment, I found a doctor who, after testing, diagnosed me with several conditions, including high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and type 2 diabetes. She also told me I was morbidly obese.
I had got so comfortable living at that weight with these unknown health issues, but I knew I had to do something about my health.
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