Rachel’s POV

Speaker: Rachel

My name is Rachel and I live in Lost Creek, West Virginia 

How has obesity and weight bias impacted your life? 

I have COPD, and it took seven years for that diagnosis because every doctor I saw before was just telling me, “Well, you just need to eat less and move more. You’re so young you don’t have COPD you just, you just need to get the weight off of you.”

And, I actually did have scarring on my lungs when I got to my favorite pulmonologist. And you know, she was like, “Yeah, you told them you smoked, right? And you told them that you really were hurting?” And I was like, yeah, I told them everything that I’m telling you right now. And the pulmonologist was like, “And they said that it was your weight?” And I’m like, exactly.

That’s the big thing is that they didn’t diagnose me with the COPD for years, and I had it, and it was affecting everything. I definitely believe that because of the weight bias that these doctors had, they didn’t see the whole picture, they didn’t see who I was, what I needed, and because of weight bias, they just kind of dismissed everything about my case. 

What has your journey with obesity care looked like and why is coverage important? 

Actually, I’ve been able to get the GLP-1s with, actually, the best copay I’ve ever seen. The medicines for COPD are 100% covered. I do not have a problem at all.

And it almost seems like in this country, I mean, you kind of create a case system with insurance like, how is it fair that I am able to get the $0 copay and not everybody? That seems so unfair and unequal. If we’re going to treat obesity as this big public health crisis, it’s only fair that we give everyone the same footing. We absolutely need to cover it all for everybody equally. 

How can policymakers and employers help improve obesity access coverage? 

The thing I would probably say to my Congresswoman right now is that we women look out for each other, or at least we should. And how would you feel if it were your daughter who couldn’t get access to the medications and everything that needed to be to make her healthy? How would you feel?  

What advice would you give to other women trying to advocate for obesity care access? 

Don’t be afraid to speak out for your health, for what you feel like you should have on equal footing to everybody who’s getting the GLP-1s or whatever it is you feel you need. Just say it. Just speak it, like we say here in West Virginia from the hilltops. Just don’t be afraid.