I feel sort of like very amped up because this is like something that I've looked forward to for, you know, a year.

But I also feel like a little like a motor cry.

Madeline Thompson is 28 years old and an associate producer on this podcast.

She got her first dose of the vaccine two weeks ago.

Now she was eligible because of her body mass index, which frankly brought up a lot of complicated emotions for her.

So Madeline recorded some of what was going through her head as she went to her vaccine appointment in New York City.

I don't even really own up to being fat in my everyday life, as if it were really like something that wasn't visible.

But like it feels like I'm going to show up and admit to committing a crime or cheating.

Now for starters, the evidence is clear that there is a connection between COVID-19 outcomes and weight.

Studies have shown that coronavirus death rates are higher in countries with higher rates of obesity.

And that while having a higher BMI did not increase the chances of contracting COVID-19,

it was linked to a greater risk of becoming seriously ill from the disease.

But at the same time, no one's weight for body shape is ever a complete picture of who they are.

And absolutely no one should be judged for it.

So today, I'm going to hand things over to Madeline to talk about her very personal experience getting vaccinated

and also navigating the complicated relationship between weight and health.

I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent.

And this is coronavirus, fact versus fiction.

Okay. Getting ready for my vaccine appointment.

Trying to figure out what to wear, which kind of want to dress up because this is a celebratory occasion.

But I feel so conflicted about it that I'm not really sure, like I don't feel very celebratory,

just because I qualify because I'm fat, you know, my whole life, I've been taught that's my fault.

...