April 24, 2026

For Aura, a former martial artist from Chicago, the descent into poor health was a “slow-motion spiral.” Once lean and active, she hit a wall after high school. When COVID-19 hit, Aura’s health reached a breaking point. “Some people used COVID to get six-packs; I used it to gain 150 pounds,” she says.   By 2023, Aura tipped the scales