Fat-Shamed On A Flight. Her Response Won Her Internet's Respect

Here's a pro-tip: fat-shaming (or any other kind of shaming) is not okay and won't be accepted lying down. Case in point, this plus-size model from US who taught her fat-shaming co-passenger on a flight a lesson he won't forget. Her response has the internet bowing down in respect.

In an Instagram post, Natalia Hage, a model, social media influencer and body positive activist from Dallas, Texas details her traumatic experience while she was travelling to Los Angeles, California for a shoot last week. In order to get more leg room, she paid $70 extra to move to the seat next to the emergency exit. But right after take-off, she saw that the man next to her began to get uncomfortable. Minutes later, she spotted him "furiously" sending nasty texts about her weight to a friend.

"If you can't read the texts, it says 'hopefully she didn't have any Mexican food' and his response is 'I think she ate a Mexican'. Then he proceeds to say he's leaving a 'neck mark on the window' because he's so smashed against the wall," she wrote in an Instagram post.

You can read the entire post here
 
But instead of being apologetic, Natalie decided to take control of the situation. Shortly after landing in Los Angeles, she decided to confront the man for what he did. She posted a video of the conversation she had with the man, which now has over 1.5 million views on Facebook. After being called out for his messages, the man explained he was drinking and was sorry. But not for long as he soon began body-shaming her again.

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"In fairness, you probably shouldn't be sitting here. You know what they ask you 'are you willing and capable to assist people getting off the plane in an emergency'..," he asked her.

Watch the video to see her response.
 

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While many stood in support with Natalie and praised her for handling the situation in a calm and dignified way, a quick look at the comments section of her posts will tell you how many still thought the man's behaviour was acceptable and blamed her for looking into his phone. The fat-shaming continued even in the comments.

A problem she acknowledged in her original post.

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"This is a fat person's daily reality and not just on a plane. This is on a bus, standing in line at the grocery store, at a concert, on the internet. You can be completely in your own space, not bothering anyone, and people will still f**k with you and try to hurt you. All you can do is know you haven't done anything wrong just by existing and to move on. This just makes me a mixture of enraged and super sad," she wrote.