Just two months ago, 41-year-old Julie from Marseille’s life was a nightmare. She lost her job and her penis was severed. Being over 25 kilograms overweight caused her many problems: difficulty moving, constant shortness of breath, and trouble sleeping. She was ashamed of her body. When she finally found out, thanks to participating in a study, her life changed dramatically. The excess weight disappeared, and she felt attractive and feminine again.
Years of humiliation and ridicule
Conversations with Julie aren’t easy. She’s not very willing to talk about her past experiences:
I was spending my free time putting on weight. At school, I was called a “barrel” and picked on. I didn’t let my parents know, because everyone was ashamed of me for the violation. Growing up, I looked at myself in the mirror with a reproduction. I hated my thighs rubbing together, and the all-important core muscles spilling out of my pants and sweaters. During my studies, I was limited by the fact that people were constantly staring at me and talking about my weight, which was out of reach. Often, I’d say, “Hey, she’s getting fat!” In restaurants, the same thing: “She’s so fat, and she’s still eating!”
