- Ese Milan is a 25-year-old in Las Vegas who grew up unconcerned about her weight.
- When she was 22, she was told she had a handful of health issues as a result of her weight.
- She started going to the gym every day after work but ended up getting weight loss surgery.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ese Milan. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My whole life, I’ve 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 asked me to get on the scale and then told me I weighed 412 pounds. I was taken aback when I heard the number.
After that initial appointment, I found a primary care person 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 gotten so comfortable living at that weight with these unknown health issues. But I knew I had to do something about my health .