What Is PCOS? Victoria Monét Joins Keke Palmer in Raising Awareness for Black Women
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Celebrities are constantly in the news for their weight gains and losses, as fans speculate why the scale has moved up or down for their favorite entertainers.
Ashanti just confirmed that she has been looking a little heavier lately because she is indeed pregnant with her and Nelly’s first child. And now, this week, Victoria Monét has opened up about some little-known pre and post-pregnancy struggles, revealing that she has been struggling with weight gain and poking a little fun at herself in the process.
The “We Might Be Falling in Love” artists posted a photo of herself performing at Coachella on her Instagram stories on April 23. In the shot, she’s standing underneath a moon with her back facing the camera.
“Welp.. I gained a lot of weight and it went a lot of places lol face, arms, tummy and most effectively… datassss,” she captioned the photo. “I usually am so critical and frustrated by it because PCOS has me really messed up, but optimistically at least now there’s two moons on the stage.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal condition that happens during the reproductive years in which small cysts develop around the outer edge of the ovaries. Symptoms can include irregular periods, excessive facial hair and severe acne. Complications associated with PCOS can include Type 2 diabetes, infertility, depression and anxiety.
A study from the National Library of Medicine found that Black women with polycystic ovary syndrome have increased risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease compared with white women. And while there is no cure for PCOS, changes in diet, activity and oral contraceptives can help manage the symptoms.
Monét is not the first Black celebrity to open up about their struggles with PCOS. In a December 2020 Instagram post, Keke Palmer got candid about her condition, sharing how she had to do her own research into PCOS before receiving an official diagnosis.
“For some of you this may be TMI, but for me, my platform has always been used for things much greater than me,” Palmer wrote.“Polycystic [ovary] syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea.”
She added, “It took ME taking a personal look into my family that has a history of diabetes and obesity, to understand what was ACTUALLY happening with me. And unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t “look the part” they may not think that’s your problem.”
