One Size - Does NOT Fit All

 

The following article discusses weight, obesity, and traumatic experiences related to size. We understand it may be triggering for some people. Please take care in reading.

Photographer Name: Nina H. Niestroj, NHS

Imagine this: you and your family are on vacation. Your kids are excited to ride the newest coaster. You looked online before your trip, but the only information you could find about size restrictions was a general waistline size—the same size for each ride. You make your way to the back of the park, find the ride, and wait in line, your kids anxious and excited. Finally, you’re at the front; you’re escorted into the pre-show area and wait nervously to be led to the actual car. Finally, you see it. You step in, wedge yourself uncomfortably into the seat, and the lap bar lowers. An alarm sounds. Everything comes to a halt. A frustrated park employee makes a beeline to you. He shoves on the lap bar to no avail. With a heavy sigh, he escorts you off the ride. And you wave to your family as they catapult forward on their adventure without you as you stand, embarrassed, on the platform.

Maybe you don’t have to wait in line. There’s a test ride car out front. But it’s still in open view of every single person walking up to the ride along with everyone else milling about the area. You still must attempt to get in, pull the lap bar down, and wait for a green light in view of plenty of other eyes.

For people in large bodies*, a theme park visit can be challenging—and humiliating. But these experiences aren’t isolated to theme parks. Narrow hallways in historic buildings. Seats in the theatre that don’t have armrests that raise. Turnstiles that don’t fit your body. Facing a daunting climb out after a cave tour. The inability to even find a sweatshirt that fits at the gift shop.

Rebecca Alexander is the CEO of AllGo, a review platform described as the “yelp for fat people.” The app is set for release this spring and is designed to help people in large bodies share information about what to expect at restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, and attractions. Alexander was inspired to create the app after her own experiences navigating the world. Alexander described her experience at a theme park when she was in high school, “It wasn’t my first trip to an amusement park, but it was the first time I felt really on display in front of my classmates. Every single ride was a roll of the dice—will I be able to ride, or will I have to walk by all of my classmates after being rejected because I didn’t fit? I carried that experience with me. It created a lot of anxiety in going new places.”

Alexander is not alone. Blogs and TikTok videos detail the experiences people in large bodies must contend with when traveling and visiting attractions. And the stories are heartbreaking. “The truth is, the bigger you are, the smaller your world becomes. It doesn’t take many experiences for a person to arrive somewhere and literally not fit to get the message that you should just stay home. These bodies are our bodies all day, every day. They are with us when we go to a coffee shop and with us when we go to a theme park. Everything from which car to choose when calling an Uber to an airline that allows you to take carry-on bags—because if our luggage gets lost, we’re not finding clothes down the street. All these decisions are just different in a large body,” Alexander says.

The Centers for Disease Control says more than 41% of people in the United States are considered obese, with 9% severely obese. You can debate the health risks and lifestyle choices until you’re blue in the face, but it remains that these are human beings who deserve respect, reasonable accommodations, and the chance to have fun and connect with their friends and families at our attractions. Alexander says, “There need to be more voices at the table. The entire plus-size market is ripe for disruption. Plus size people spend money too. The companies who choose to do this first will reap the benefits.”

USA Today Article - The 'walk of shame' some theme park visitors dread: 'It's like you're climbing the gallows'

Visitors in large bodies understand that not everything can be made for them, but there are steps attractions can take to be more accommodating, more welcoming, and more inclusive.

  • Ride test vehicles: The availability to test ride vehicles before waiting in line is a great step. However, placing them individually near the attraction itself is not ideal. Placing them all together near the front of the park in a secluded alcove would be much better. That way, a visitor can test all the rides at the same time, in privacy, and plan their day accordingly.

  • Clearer weight and size guidelines on the website when possible. Most descriptions just give general guidelines. But as many bloggers have pointed out, the lap bar at one ride may work, but not at another despite having the same warning. Can your descriptions have more detail?

  • Customer service training. Safety is paramount, and most theme parks take it very seriously. But stories persist, and tragedies have occurred. Ensure employees are trained to know the proper guidelines and when to ask for assistance. Additionally, training them in how to discreetly handle potentially embarrassing situations will help both the employee and visitor.

  • Multiple seating options to accommodate visitors. Sturdy, armless chairs, seating height options, and ensuring space between tables and walls will help.

 

Jenkins says plus-size travelers don’t want special treatment, they just want equal accommodations.

Credit: chubbydiaries_

Representation

In addition to the physical complications at attractions, people who are in large bodies often do not feel positively represented or reflected in the marketing, staff, or retail offerings of attractions. When they do appear, the representation often reinforces negative stereotypes.

As Rachel Marcus writes in a blog post about Broadway, “Not only is there a dearth of fat actors on your stages in general, but when they appear, they’re stereotypes like a buffoon sidekick (Book of Mormon), a bullied loser (Heathers) or a matronly figure (Beauty & The Beast). And don’t tell me, ‘What about Hairspray?!’ While I’m glad there is one role you can point to designed specifically for a fat woman, a main plotline of Hairspray is that this character is too ‘disgusting’ to be loved! Hairspray is not an achievement worth boasting about.”

Alexander says she does not see herself represented in travel and attractions. “Clothing and skincare is leading the way to be more inclusive. But travel still feels like it leans hard toward ideal lifestyle marketing using thin symmetrical people. It does not represent the reality of the world.”

*There is much debate over using people-first language when describing obesity, large people, or fat. For the purpose of this article, we are using “people in large bodies.” We encourage you to look further into the links below to hear multiple stories and opinions.

The More You Know… Please use the sources below for further information.

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Dawn Jasper