Week 5 September 28th

Photo: Natalie Hage Instagram

Today we heard from Natalie Hage. I had managed to completely miss this story, and that's pretty abnormal for me as I am certainly a news hound who is constantly scouring and surfing news sites. But when I heard Hage's story, I was absolutely horrified. To hear that someone would be so insanely uncomfortable with some one sitting near them because they are overweight is unfathomable to me.

So the story goes, Hage boarded a plane to LA, heading to a photoshoot. Yea, a photoshoot, because she's gorgeous, lovely, and a freaking model. The man seated next to her was immediately and vocally annoyed by her size from the moment she entered his eye line. Hage was forced to endure the man texting a friend throughout the flight about her size. The phone was visible enough to Hage that she was actually able to take photos of his screen without him knowing and post those to social media. Her friends rallied behind her and motivated her to speak up before de-boarding the plane. She calmly confronted him before leaving the plane. Her posts went viral.

Why do we live in a world where someone like Hage could make someone so uncomfortable? Don't people know some overweight people are sick or are actively trying to lose weight? Why do they think they get to have an opinion? I understand that some people need advice about their weight, but how about we leave that to the professionals and worry about our own health? And just generally stop trying to bring people down around us, for that matter.

Natalie...you are beautiful. And you...skinny, tall, short, overweight, white, black, brown, curvy, or slender woman...you are beautiful too.

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Week 4 September 21st

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Week 6 October 5th

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Week 13 November 30th

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AnnaLise Coble RGM

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