I need to start here by saying that I am not an advocate for being fat, I just strongly believe in equity of care. Life has challenges and obstacles to be overcome regardless of your weight.
Bigger people should not be discouraged or denied the opportunities to live happy, fulfilled, productive lives until they achieve some one else’s definition of the ‘perfect’ weight.
Of course I understand that there are serious health risks associated with being big and I fully accept and support the choice to lose weight, whether through diet or through weight loss surgery.
What I cannot accept however is that people should be denied safe, dignified, respectful care in the meantime.
Now I work with companies developing products and I’m happy to offer my evaluations at the research and development, or final stages. I also give product demonstrations and work as a model for videos or at trade shows. I’ve developed close relationships with lots of manufacturers but I remain entirely independent and the opinions I give always remain my own.
In addition I also work as a patient advocate and try to find solutions that fit individual circumstances. It is very rare that ‘one size fits all’, but I can offer insight and experience to help develop strategies and I’m always willing to test them personally.
I also love getting the chance to address groups of people to explain how it feels to be 200kgs+ in a world that can be pretty unfriendly. Discrimination is a very real factor in many peoples lives and sadly, adults and children of size are bullied and ridiculed openly about their weight without the protection of the legal system.
This unfairness needs to be urgently addressed, and is something I am actively seeking to change.