Famous Plus-Sized Model Explains How She Shut Down A Fat-Shamer
Even though the body positivity movement is making waves, there are a lot of people out there who can't keep mean comments to themselves when it comes to fat-shaming.
This recently happened to a famous plus-sized model, and in a candid Instagram video, she explains how she fired back.
Body Shaming
When it comes to our physical appearance, there are fewer things we're more self-conscious of than our weight.
But from skinny shaming to fat-shaming, it seems as though many people nowadays (especially women) are subject to cruel and unwarranted comments about their weight. While a lot of the bullying has shifted online, many hurtful comments are said face-to-face.
Meet Tess Holliday
This is Tess Holliday. If you recognize her, it's probably because Tess is a famous plus-sized model, make-up artist, and blogger based out of California. She's also quite active on social media, including TikTok and Instagram.
She's also the founder of "Eff Your Beauty Standards", a positivity campaign designed to help women of all sizes embrace their bodies.
The Instagram Video
In a now-viral video on Instagram, Tess shares an incident that happened to her during a recent doctor's appointment. The video has so far received nearly 154,000 views and 2,500 comments.
"I don't often give myself enough credit, & my energy this year is very much to cut that s**t out," Tess wrote on Instagram.
A Routine Doctor's Appointment
Tess explains that she was sitting in the waiting room of her doctor's office one day, minding her business. Sitting two seats over was an older woman, who looked at Tess and said, "You are so pretty. You have a beautiful face and you have beautiful hair."
Wearing a hoodie and a face mask, Tess thanked the woman. But, that's not where things ended.
Backhanded Compliments
"She then proceeded to tell me, 'Why don't you just lose a little bit of weight?'"
Tess explains that she's no stranger to this kind of comment, but due to past traumas and subsequent people-pleasing tendencies, she often says something polite to placate the conversation. But that day in the doctor's office, she wasn't having any of it.
"I Think I'm Doing Okay"
Tess says that even a day after the incident, she still "can't believe" what she said next to the older woman. Tess looked at the woman, took a deep breath, and said, "'Ma'am, I am one of the most famous plus-size models in the world, I think I'm doing okay.'"
Awkwardly, the woman then comments that her sister once rented a room to a plus-size model, but that still wasn't the end of it.
Cutting Off The Conversation
The woman then says, "You know, I just stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore" and Tess replies back, "Bodies are weird."
Tess says she was relieved when the nurse finally called her name and that the doctor was ready to see her. She awkwardly said goodbye to the older woman in the waiting room.
Standing Up For Yourself
"I guess, you know, I'm proud of myself," Tess says. "I'm proud of myself for standing up for myself even though she will never get it, and there was no reason for me to explain myself in that situation."
Before ending the nearly three-minute-long video, Tess then says, "But I'm f***ing proud of myself."
