The plus-sized model and body positivity activist just shared a shocking experience on Wednesday. According to model Tess Holliday, she was denied life insurance simply because of her weight.
Despite being perfectly healthy, Holliday claims she was denied life insurance in a video on TikTok. “The insurance company said ‘no,'” Holliday captioned the video. The model continued, sarcastically saying, “Yes, I thought that as a 40-year-old, non-smoking, non-drinking person with no health issues, I could get life insurance. Apparently, that was my mistake.”
@tessholliday AAA you did me dirty man #lifeinsurance #oops #advice #lol ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design
The TikTok video went on with her saying, “Am I 5 foot 3 and do I weigh over 300 pounds? And apparently that makes me ineligible for insurance? Yeah, it does.”
She added that she works out every single day and has no pre-existing conditions, and doesn’t take any medication. But she went on, saying that she understands that the “medical industrial complex” is very fatphobic, and that the system is broken.
Unfortunately, the model Tess Holliday wasn’t the only one experiencing this issue. Comments shared similar situations where they were denied life insurance simply because of their BMI.
Holliday has made a huge impact on the modelling industry. Back in October, she had an interview with Good Morning Britain where she spoke on the declining representation of plus-sized models in the fashion industry. She also highlighted the increasing popularity of GLP-1, a weight loss medication.
While she does not fully blame the weight loss medication for the shift in the industry’s preference for ultra-slim models, she did point out that the shift in societal standards played a huge role.
Her modelling career not only advocates for plus-sized everywhere, but pushes back against the current obsession with weight loss medication, promoting body positivity and natural beauty.
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