Former athlete Melissa Gohing joins forces with her fellow fighters against Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), bringing attention to the judgmental remarks often directed at women living with the condition.
One of them has something to do with gaining weight.
At the grand opening of Old Navy's new store at One Ayala in Makati City on April 26, 2024, Melissa underscores that it's not being "lazy," drawing from her own struggles with weight loss despite leading a healthy lifestyle,
She explains, "I can attest to that. Because, you know me, I was a professional athlete.
"And even during the pandemic, I worked out every day.
"Wala akong bisyo, I don’t drink, I don’t vape or anything. No bisyo at all."
But because of PCOS, she has to double her efforts.
The wife of Rocco Nacino stresses, "You try to cope up with it."
MELISSA GOHING'S MESSAGE TO WOMEN WITH PCOS
She says, urging women to deal with it, "PCOS is not really a bad thing.
"Kasi, dito sa Philippines, may research din na medyo nahihiya din yung mga women magpa-check up because of hiya.
"You don’t need to be. Wag kang mahiya na meron kang ganito, meron kang ganyan.
"It doesn’t make you less of a woman.
"Yung PCOS, you know, go to your doctor, go to your OB-GYN, have it checked.
"I take medicine for it, so just be open about it, talk about it, and not be shy about it."
She repeats, "So PCOS is not a bad thing.
"It’s just that I don’t say or I don’t want to use the word na mas hindi ‘lucky.’
"You just really have to cope up with what you have."
Read: Rocco Nacino says he's not a "praning" dad
Melissa emphasizes that the drive to lose weight should not stem from societal pressures, maintaining, "Iba-iba yung body natin as women, but it doesn’t make you less of a woman."
Herself as an example, she says further, "And that’s what I always tell to other people na, 'O, may PCOS ako, ganyan ako,' no.
"It’s fine, even if you’re the healthiest person, walang bisyo, very active, magkakaroon ka talaga, like me.
"Una, ganon kasi ako sa husband ko, e. Sabi ko, 'Why can’t we conceive? Is it me?'
"I was questioning my womanhood, di ba? Mapapatanong ka talaga.
"Pero, yun nga, kailangan mo talagang magpa-check up and be open about it.
"Huwag kang mahihiya. It’s okay not to be okay."
To clarify, Melissa is prodded to talk about PCOS at a social event when asked by PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about her reaction to the controversy involving Cebu-based food-content creator and fellow PCOS warrior Kathryn Sienna Tan Sy.
Recall that Sienna faced backlash from netizens after criticizing women who experienced weight gain owing to PCOS.
In her Instagram Story, Sienna initially shared an uplifting quote, which read, published as is: "i have PCOS and i want people to know.. I'm not fat by choice, I'm trying my best to lose it, But PCOS makes it hard. I'm not lazy, I get tired easily, I'm really depressed, I'm not faking it."
However, her message took a troubling turn when she added, "you are fat an lazy by choice, sorry not sorry."
READ MORE:
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- Melissa Gohing moved to tears by husband Rocco Nacino's thank-you post
- Rocco Nacino, humingi ng paternity leave sa Maria Clara at Ibarra para alagaan ang misis na si Melissa Gohing