Was This Plus Size Woman Overly Sensitive After Body Shaming in Old Navy?

Are Plus Size Women Overly Sensitive?

Yesterday, I read a story on social media about a picture of a plus size woman that went viral. While shopping in Old Navy the woman became offended after she overheard a conversation between a mother and daughter regarding the size of a tank top. According to the Facebook post, a young lady named Rachel Taylor stated:

“I was shopping in Old Navy, standing in between a teenage girl and her mom. The girl picked up a plus-size tank top, showed it to her mom and said, ‘Look! Me and So-and-so can fit in this tank top!’ Her mom laughed and said, ‘Yeah, you could! That thing is huge!” Taylor posted on Facebook. WGNTV.com

Rachel took offense to the comments that caused her enough distress to make her cry in her car. She then went back in Old Navy and tried on the tank that was the subject of ridicule. She snapped a selfie and stated that the tank looked great on her, and she purchased it. She posted her experience on Old Navy’s Facebook page and that’s when people’s emotions started to get heated. Some judged her weight, other’s judged her self-esteem, and lastly, some claimed she just wanted attention. Old Navy read the post and is sending Rachel a gift card.

Let me clarify, I’m a plus size woman who wears a size 20-22. About three weeks ago, I was in the store with my mother who is also plus size. I picked up a shirt and said that it was big enough for the both of us; I called it a curtain and we both laugh. However, the store was empty. We were the only ones in there at that time. Does this make me an insensitive bully? I would never make such a statement if other people were around. This story has more to do with mindfulness than anything else. People will never stop talking about others, whether it’s racial, weight, or culturally related. I would have never left the store crying because of what the mother/daughter duo said, but I’m not her; I have pretty tough skin. If people didn’t talk about my weight, they would talk about my race, and those of the same race would talk about my eyes, my lips or something else they deemed an imperfection.

I must admit that I’ve been in Old Navy and seen some of their plus sized clothing. Nothing in that store is huge, but it’s a matter of perception.

The question remains, are plus size women overly sensitive? Or is the mother/daughter being jerks? Maybe it’s a combination of both.