I’ve never had any doubts that music is my life. I live and breathe music and am lucky to call it my full-time job. I’ve performed all over the country and the world as a pianist for over 40 years, and I also work with San Francisco Jazz as a teaching artist. And I was recognized with a Grammy for my work.

When people look at me, I want them to see me for who I am: a great musician. Unfortunately, that’s not usually the case. There have been times when I don’t get a headlining opportunity because I am a Black woman with obesity.

The real-life consequences of weight bias and stigma

I’ve dealt with health issues for decades, starting with a hysterectomy at 38 because of excessive fibroids in my uterus. Everything changed in my body after that. I have since lived with ever-increasing obesity, early onset menopause, heart conditions, arthritis…the list goes on. But, before I even set foot in a doctor's office, I know what their report will say when I leave: that I’m obese, first and foremost. And despite dealing with physical ailments for years, the worst part of it remains the judgement about my body size from providers, music industry professionals, and the public.

Weight stigma is a chronic condition of its own—it causes a downward spiral that can really get to you if you let it. It certainly doesn’t help your health to feel misunderstood and judged 24/7. The way we look and treat people with obesity has got to change, especially for women.

Fighting for access to obesity care treatment

We continue to tell overweight or obese patients to eat less and move more. What if you move more and eat less than ever, but the number on the scale doesn’t budge? What if, like me, you yearn to swim and walk like you used to, but your arthritis pain prevents you from doing so? We treat obesity like it has a one-size-fits-all solution, when we know that all people and all bodies are wildly different.

Now we have effective treatments that are nearly impossible to get if you don’t have diabetes, though we know that they work for people with obesity and heart disease. I’ve been fighting with my insurance company for months to get coverage for one of these medications, and it’s been nothing short of an uphill battle. It’s frustrating to know there is a medication out there that can help you, and has helped you, with multiple chronic conditions, but you can’t get it because your insurance company doesn’t cover it.

These medications should be available to anyone who needs obesity treatment. The stigma around weight is still very much ingrained in our culture and our health care system. It’s time for us to do better for women, for Californians, and for people living with obesity across the country.

Until then, I will not let health conditions and judgement from others stop me from doing what I was born to do. I have a platform as a musician, and I want to use it to help others. It is my hope that, with support from our elected officials we can help people access all the tools they need to be healthy and pursue their passions, regardless of what they look like.

Photo credit: Irene Young Foto.