Dear Chief Castaldi,
For as long as I can remember all I’ve ever heard was, "how fat you are", " I don’t think it could hold you", "the fat lady is in the house", "hey, fatso." Well, it has been so hard, that I have even considered suicide. It’s not that I haven’t tried losing weight, because I have. I’ve taken every diet pill that I could afford and I’ve even joined a fitness club. Now, that was NOT a good experience. Everybody there was so beautiful and they already looked good. I stopped going. I got tired of people staring at me. For awhile I even tried throwing up after meals and I would go for days without eating. All that did for me was make me feel worse and I would get sick.

You see I’ve just moved to the city of Burbank in January and I have been looking for a job. And every time I would go to the mall to try to purchase a nice suit or dress - I could not find anything that did not make me look old and even FATTER. Now that I’ve found a job, I have had so much trouble with the dress code due to the fact that nothing fits me. I’m so tired of being fat, without breath, and most of all being laughed at.
You see, every year my New Year’s resolution has been to lose weight and to look good for my birthday. Well, every year my birthday comes and goes and I just keep getting fatter. I’ve just turned 25 years old, I’ve got a new job and I’m still not happy with myself.

I’ve done so much for so many people and I’ve never asked for anything in return, nor have I asked anybody for help. Well, I am taking my pride and forgetting about it, because I am asking for help now. I am more than ready and I am willing to do anything to lose weight and feel better about ME. I want to LOVE me, and be able to walk down the street without getting short winded nor being ashamed. I want to improve my health before it is too late. I want to go to my high school reunion and show those people that used to laugh at me that the "fat lady is GONE!"

So, if you could please help me lose weight and make a difference in my life I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time and for reading my letter.

Sincerely,
Juanita Ortega