Hey, you. YOU.

I give and I give and I give to you people. With your questions (that I totally ask for) and your comments (that I love). Well, it's your turn to help me out. Well, not me, but kind of.

I was contacted recently by a reporter from a Big Deal Newspaper. He's researching the plus size market and products for fat people, etc., you know the deal. He's looking for personal stories from actual fat people to complement the rest of the piece. More details and info after the link.

Update
I've decided to close the comments on this post because I'm not getting the type of responses I was looking for, though I do appreciate your stories. If you'd like to talk with the reporter about the types of things he asked about, please use the contact form and I'll provide his information.

Here's what he's looking for more specifically:

Basically I'm trying to have a peek at the world of the overweight and obese. I'd like to know what life was like before companies, like Ample stuff and Living XL, began coming out with plus-sized products; What kinds of inconveniences did they have to encounter; What kind of creative substitutes they had to invent.

At the risk of sounding impolite, for instance, how did people cut their toe nails? How did they read the weight scale? For those who weighed more than 250 or 300 pounds, how did they find out how much they weighed since the pound limit on many bathroom scales only go up to 300 pounds? How did they scratch their backs or wash themselves?

In the office did they have to remove the arms from their chairs in order to fit into a chair? Did some have to remove the partition boards of urinal stalls. I was told that someone, trying to squeeze into one, tore a board off its hinges. How did they use seat belts prior to the invention of seat belt extenders. Did some have to stand when watching their child's soccer or baseball game? Did some folks have to reinforce a lawn chair to keep it from collapsing when they sat on it?

Oddly, I don't personally have many stories like this, despite my status as a Super Duper Fat Chick (where is my cape?) but I know many fat people have challenges like this that they face day to day. I've pretty much just learned the art of avoidance, which is sad in its own way.

Anyway. if you'd like to share your story, please leave a comment or use the contact form and I'll send you his contact info. This is a topic that's near and dear to me, for various reasons, and I think it's awesome that the Big Deal Media is starting to pay attention.

Comments

[Alix]

I'm 5'2, 327 pounds (give or take, obviously), I'm generally always the biggest girl in the room, and I don't have problems with things like washing or scratching my back or cutting my toenails. It is hard to paint them, but I can always ask a friend/husband/pedicurist to do that when I want it done.

When I was weighing myself regularly, I would just weigh at the gym. They generally have the same scales doctor's offices do.

We do keep our boxspring/mattress on the floor rather than rails because my husband and I are both heavy and cheap rails just break the second we get into bed. A quick hem to shorten a bedskirt and it's not obvious at all.

I've never had a problem with bathroom stalls or lawn chairs, either. I think, unless the chair is really flimsy, it's more how you sit than your weight. If you plop, even at a "normal" weight, you could run into chair breakage issues. There are lots and lots of chairs I wish I could remove the arms from, though. I'm "figure eight" shaped and a many armed chairs/seats leave bruises.

And I've never really worn my seatbelt. At my height with my rack, it doesn't seem to go anywhere but across my chin no matter what I do.

[in-the-closet fat girl]

People sit on lawn chairs? Talk about playing fast and loose with your self-esteem! I would *never* sit in a lawn chair...

[Dowdydiva]

I bounce between 215 and 230. I do lots
of flexibility exercises so I can do pedicures. I can touch the ground very easily - something I couldn't do when I was thin!!!!

My main problem is that I have lady troubles and my poor, messed up stomach is out of proportion to the rest of my body. Pants are hard to fit. I am thinking about getting the legs take in on some of mine. Jackets, too, but I just go to the tailor. Like almost every other plus size woman out there, I wish there were better clothes out there.

Other than that, no problems with beds, lawn chairs, airline seats or anything. Sometimes people are jerks on the bus and they act like I take up three seats when I sit down next to them, but after like 2 seconds they figure out they won't get cooties from me.

Hope this helps!

[Krista]

I am only 240, my mother, who lives with me, is 290, and we have really had no issues of this nature. The only place where I needed to do something to accommodate is in the bedroom, and that was more due to joint issues unrelated to fat. Liberator shapes helped in the department :)

Oh! I guess there are some things I do unconsciously- like not sitting on flimsy chairs, lawn or otherwise. My mom has a seat belt extender in the car. I also bought a curved shower rod. The thing is, is that we managed without those- they are just conveniences.

[somegirl]

I weigh 204 lbs and I'm 5'6". I am “obese” according to BMI standards, but I do not have and never have had problems with any of the things described. I realize that's not everyone's experience, and I don't mean to denigrate that. I'm really glad that we're discussing this stuff. But I also want to point out that the person posing these questions has a whole lot of preconceived notions about “obese” and “overweight” people, and they’re pretty darn stereotypical.

[Adrienne]

It's good that this man is looking into these issues, but he took the most stereotypical things and ran with them, which kind of irks me. I'm 5'6" and I'm about 340 lbs. I know better than to sit on flimsy chairs or use anything with arms unless I want huge bruises. I can groom myself perfectly in every aspect. My furniture is fine, and I have only removed my desk chairs arms because it won't slide under my desk otherwise. As fine as I am with all these topics, and my body, I have a strange fear of not fitting places. When I go to theme parks, it's a tight squeeze through the entrance turn style, but even tighter through the ride's turn style. This was only made worse because I was laughed at by a group of children because I had to pull myself through it. I don't want to travel by plane because I'm afraid I will not fit in a seat. I hate going out to dinner because the booths can be too tight. Isn't it a shame - I'm finally okay with myself and now I don't want to go anywhere because I'm afraid I won't fit!

[Toni]

Excuse me? WTF?

How do we clip our toenails? Just like everyone else - I chew them off with my teeth! And I just pee on the floor if I can't fit into a bathroom stall. Or I just bust through it leaving a giant human-shaped hole in the wall.

And as far as cleaning my body - I just let all the chicken grease accumulate in my rolls of fat until I pay a neighbor kid to dig it out.

What a bunch of ridiculous questions! This guy clearly has NO clue what 250-300 lbs looks like. I'm 260. I fit into "normal" chairs, "normal" restaurant booths, "normal" bathroom stalls. I can clean every part of my body without assistance.

I use "normal" seat belts, "normal" lawn chairs.

The "problems" this guy is imagining are something someone 600 pounds might have, NOT someone 250 lbs.

This is a perfect example of the rampant mis-information, the stereotypical beliefs, and the general ridiculousness of the media when it comes to talking about teh fat.

[Fillyjonk]

Not to mention that he's looking for stories from the OVERWEIGHT and obese. God, I sure wonder how Shauna washes herself or sits in a chair!

Is this guy really a reporter? I would be embarrassed to contact a source having done this little homework. He seems to be basing his questions entirely on speculation and hearsay. Granted he might be able to construct an interesting set of questions if, say, he had any idea what 250 pounds looked like.

At least he seems to think that fat folks are a) able to stand and b) might have kids that they allow to play a sport instead of forcibly shoving donuts in their faces.

(Here's my answer: At a significantly obese 215 pounds, I can put my ankle behind my head. At the peak of medication-induced weight gain I was 250 and still doing yoga. Scales could hold me, and bathroom stalls could contain my bulk, believe it or not.)

(P.S. I am a liar. It won't quite go behind my head -- or at least, not all the way behind my neck. I hate being old.)

[Colleen (Pretty Pear)]

Toni,

I understand what you're saying but after speaking to reporter directly for almost an hour, I can say that is NOT the point of what he's doing here.

This isn't a tabloid expose of what the fatties are really like, it's about the market for products geared toward people of size.

I made it very clear to him that if a company is going to market to fat people, they will only be successful if they do so with compassion and respect.

There are plenty of fat people, at every size, who have different mobility and other issues who have a need for these products.

Women who may not be super size but have large hips, like ME for instance, need seatbelt extenders while someone else at the same exact weight might not. I also need bigger towels and sturdier chairs.

Also, someone who weighs 600 pounds might very well be reading these comments and might be interested in sharing their story, so please have some respect for that. "Plus size" does not stop at 250-300 pounds.

[Colleen (Pretty Pear)]

Yes, he's a real reporter. He asked me not to publicize which paper he writes for. Keep in mind that he's coming at this from a business standpoint, not exactly a political/cultural standpoint. He's focusing on companies like Ample Stuff and Living Xl, which sell products specifically geared towards those with special needs.

[Tisha_]

I'm 5' and weight about 240lbs.

And, while I can technically do my own toenails, it's not easy. Because my chest is a size 42H... those girls get in the way.

But that's the same reason that I have problems with a lot of booths in resturants. Yes, I can fit in them all. I've never NOT been able to get into a booth. But is it comfortable? Hell no. Most of the time, my boobs have to lay on the table, because they won't fit.

Also, I managed to break someone's toilet seat once. Yes, it was probably an old toilet seat, and was probably close to breaking anyway, but it SNAPPED loudly and it was embarassing.

So, while I understand that MOST of these things do not occur with someone who is less than 600lbs, as you stated, they CAN still happen to someone who's just shy of 250lbs for sure.

[Tisha_]

BTW, my comment was directed toward Toni because this part of her post rubbed me the wrong way:

"The "problems" this guy is imagining are something someone 600 pounds might have, NOT someone 250 lbs."

I didn't want you to think it was directed toward you, Colleen.

[mimi]

I think if Colleen has vetted him as a legitimate reporter this is a perfect opportunity to prove all the points made above. At 5'6" and 234 I'm clearly obese by those useful BMI catagories, but still manage to do everything I need to do to function in the world, including cut my toenails and wash myself.
What would be brilliant would be an article on the very real discrimination out there, as well as some criticism of how we're treated in the media. Headless fatties are not evil demons who will kill your children with their baby flavored donuts and cripple the health care system with their obesity related inability to cut their own toenails.

[Toni]

What I'm upset about is the guy's assumption that 250 pounds is SO giant that people would have serious mobility problems. That they can't function like "normal" people.

Certainly, people at ALL weights have mobility issues because of health problems, injuries, the way their body is shaped. Hell, my 115 lb grandmother needed help clipping her nails because of her weak hip bones.

I've got a dear friend who has serious problems sitting in cars, buses, airplanes, bathroom stalls. She weighs 230 lbs. But, guess what? She's 6'4" and a size 8!

Those issues have NOTHING to do with reaching a certain # on the scale.

If he wants to know how people with mobility problems, regardless of size, deal with daily activities, that's one thing. But mobility problems and fat/overweight/obese ARE NOT the same thing!

The assumption that someone who is 250-300 lbs MUST have serious problems simply because they've hit the magical weight is ridiculous.

It's this sort of stereotyping and ridiculous view of people of size that perpetuates the rampant discrimination against people of size.

[Colleen (Pretty Pear)]

Ok. We can all agree that some people have mobility issues and special needs and some people do not. Let's TRY to keep an open mind here and not get hung up on his word choices. I'll be sure to talk to him about all of this but please just keep in mind that this is a story about PRODUCTS for FAT PEOPLE who DO have special needs, this isn't about "omg fat people smell bad and have long toenails."

Ok? Ok.

[Toni]

Tisha

Right. You have issues around your body, and you're not 600 lbs.

But you'd have those same issues if you weighed 120, 220, 420, or 620. It's the way your breasts developed, NOT the number on the scale.

I wasn't implying that 600 pounds is "really" fat, anything lower than that isn't. I wasn't saying that 600 pound people automatically have any problems either. Or that people who do have mobility problems should be discounted if they're only 250 or 300 pounds.

The "reporter" gave the 250 - 300 pound size range himself. And then went on to make incredibly narrow-minded, stereotypical, discriminatory assumptions about how "difficult" those huge fatties must have life.

THAT's what I have a problem with.

[jen]

I absolutely agree with Toni.

I am 5'4", 300 pounds, and I have never in my life not been able to cut/paint my own toenails, or fit in a bathroom stall or the average chair. I occasionally have a tight squeeze on airplane seats, and sometimes have to ask for a seatbelt extender, but it really depends on the airline.

[Colleen (Pretty Pear)]

If anyone has concerns or questions about this, please let me know and I'll email you directly.

I, and the reporter, both know that not ALL fat people have mobility issues. I understand the point with this, believe me. But the story isn't about all fat people having issues like this, it's about companies offering products to those who DO have those needs.

[Meghan]

I really can't help with this because, like a lot of fat people, I avoid being in situations in which my size will hinder me. The only thing I can really say is that because my hips are pretty wide, I sometimes slide myself diagonally into a smallish chair instead of plopping right down and bruising my ass, haha.

[Carrie]

I haven't faced any physical obstacles related to my size (5'4", 238lbs). I'm flexible and able to do all of the "normal" things a person does in the run of a day. I might be more self-aware than a smaller-sized person, in that I pay attention to how much space I take up on the bus, airplane, train, etc. I also don't really care if I'm taking up an extra inch... I love all of me, including the extra bits.

If we're talking about products for fatties, how about underwire bras that don't dig in on the sides, that are made for those of us who are plus-size and short in the torso? Or how about shoes that make our legs look long, are comfortable, and stylish? :) Thought I'd try to lighten the conversation a little...