Tall or short, thin or thick… in my world, it simply doesn’t matter which of these you are. I feel quite fortunate that my parents taught me these basics years ago – never to judge a book by its cover and remember it’s the inside that counts.
However, we all know that regular exercise and eating right are important to keep your body healthy. But many of us also know what getting into a vicious circle means and how hard it can be to break bad habits. Determination, self-confidence, and motivation are required to break a bad pattern — but this is easier said than done.
Being plus-size can be very tough, both mentally and physically.
Jae’lynn Chaney is a 25-year-old passionate globetrotter whose TikTok videos have gained her over 107,000 followers on the platform. Jae focuses on plus-size travel and fashion, and her most recent series—“Plus-Size Travel Struggles”—has gone viral with over 15 million views.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Jaelynn explained, “I decided to start documenting and sharing the struggles that plus-size people face when traveling because a lot of plus-size people can relate to these struggles, yet they are rarely talked about, especially by someone my size.”
According to Jae for Buzzfeed, some of the things that plus-size travelers often have to contend with that other travelers do not think about might include:
1. “Having little to no room to move.”
2. “Narrow aisles and bulkhead seats.”
3. “Worrying about asking for a seatbelt extender.”
4. “When the tray table can’t come down.”
5. “Tiny airplane bathrooms.”
6. “Worrying you’re going to break the toilet when traveling somewhere.”
7. “Not being able to find accessible path and hiking trails.”
8. “Getting patted down because you’re fat.”
9. “Tiny airport chairs with armrests.”
10. “Boat ladders, pool ladders, all ladders.”
11. “Always wondering if you’re going to fit—public transportation, airplane seats, etc.”
12. “Very limited poolside seating/lounging options for plus-size people.”
13. “Restaurants that don’t have seating options for plus-size people.”
14. “Towels that don’t fit.”
15. “Not being able to find clothes your size anywhere.”
16. “Turnstiles and worrying you’ll get stuck.”
17. “Getting ridiculous comments about being a fat traveler.”
Jae went on to say, “The industry needs to realize that the average woman is no longer a size 14. They are now a size 18 and beyond. Yet as we’ve gotten bigger, things like airplane seats, clothing, and everything else has gotten smaller or stayed the exact same.”
”To see a true change, the industry needs to stop ignoring the needs of plus-size individuals and start expanding to meet our needs and become truly inclusive,” Jae continued. “People of all colors, sizes, and abilities exist, and we deserve to have access to things that others have had for years.”
Jae added, “As an advocate for people of all sizes and abilities I wanted to share that while there are many obstacles when traveling as a plus-size person, it’s still totally worth it.”
Jae’lynn continues to be open about her experiences traveling and shopping as a plus-size woman. Thank you, Jae, for all you do advocating for the plus size community!
You can follow Jae-lynn’s advocacy work on her page, @jaebaeofficial, on TikTok and can follow her Instagram, @jaebaeproductions, here.
