Community Perspectives – Fighting for Health: How One Educator Turned Advocacy Into Access

by Gianna Toto, OAC Marketing and Communications Manager

Spring 2026

Laura Gomez knows what it means to fight for herself and for others. Diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, as a teenager, she began experiencing relentless weight gain and hunger despite staying active and eating a nutritious diet. Like many people living with obesity, she cycled through diets and structured programs, losing weight temporarily only to regain it. Over time, the physical toll grew. In 2017, she required total knee replacements due to osteoarthritis, a condition worsened by excess weight. Even a medically supervised weight-loss program in 2019, where she lost 33 pounds, could not break the cycle.

But when her healthcare team determined bariatric surgery was medically necessary in 2022, Gomez encountered a new barrier: coverage. Her insurer, UnitedHealthcare, initially approved the procedure, but that decision was later reversed. Adding to the frustration, her employer-sponsored plan through Roanoke City Public Schools listed obesity under exclusions for physical appearance, denying coverage. When she asked the school system what could be done, she was told simply, “Nothing. There’s nothing you can do.”

The decision left her stunned and frustrated. After years of trying recommended treatments, the care her doctors said she needed was suddenly out of reach.

Gomez refused to accept that answer. Instead, she began preparing to make her case. Determined to fight for her health, she demanded a meeting with decision-makers, armed with clinical data showing metabolic and bariatric surgery is an evidence-based treatment. With guidance from Chris Gallagher, Washington policy adviser for the Obesity Action Coalition, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society, she built a detailed case addressing both health outcomes and cost concerns.

Her first presentation in 2022 did not change policy. But Gomez did not walk away. She returned in 2023 better prepared, incorporating additional data and aligning her recommendations with the district’s strategic priorities. She opened her second presentation with words that underscored the stakes:

“For you, this may be policy. For me, this is a matter of life and death,” she told the panel.

Months of persistence paid off. In October 2023, the school board voted to expand coverage, allowing all eligible employees and their families to access bariatric surgery. On July 1, 2024, Gomez underwent gastric bypass surgery — the treatment she had fought nearly two years to access. Since then, she has lost more than 100 pounds, gained mobility, improved cardiovascular fitness and achieved a quality of life that once seemed out of reach.

Her advocacy did not stop at the local level. In March 2024, Gomez traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in Obesity Action Coalition Advocacy Day, sharing her story with congressional staff and supporting policies to expand access to obesity care nationwide. She returned in 2025 as both a speaker and advocate, inspiring others through her experience and commitment.

Gomez’s experience reflects a challenge many people living with obesity face: access to evidence-based care. For years, she followed recommended lifestyle interventions without lasting results. When medically necessary treatment became available, she was finally able to achieve sustainable change. 

Her journey also highlights a broader issue: Too often, individuals living with obesity must fight for coverage for a chronic disease recognized by the medical community but still overlooked in insurance policies.

Through determination and advocacy, Laura Gomez not only changed her own life but also expanded access to care for an entire community. Her story is a testament to the power of persistence, the importance of patient advocacy and the life-changing impact of evidence-based obesity treatment.

About the Author: 

Gianna Toto, OAC Marketing and Communications Manager, helps bring the organization’s mission to life through engaging content across social media, newsletters, member emails and other communications. With a background in nonprofit work, she is passionate about building connections, sharing meaningful stories and helping grow a strong community around OAC’s work. Gianna attended the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, where she majored in Communications in Technology and minored in Marketing.

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