Kerolay Chaves, a 23-year-old model and influencer from Minas Gerais, Brazil, is speaking out against what she calls everyday body shaming claiming society is not designed for people with larger bodies like hers.
With a 126cm hip circumference, Kerolay has faced viral attention before, including being asked to leave a supermarket for wearing skimpy shorts, but she says the real struggle lies in the constant, subtle challenges she faces just trying to live a normal life.
She points to something as basic as public seating as a source of exclusion. From airplane cabins to restaurant booths and car seats, she says most are built with smaller frames in mind, leaving her to feel out of place in public.
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It’s as if they’re saying my body doesn’t belong,” she told NeedToKnow. “This isn’t just about inconvenience it’s body shaming built into the environment.”
Kerolay, who has over 240,000 followers on social media, says her profession often highlights the glamorous side of her figure, but few realise the practical difficulties that come with it.
Clothes shopping is a constant frustration, especially when it comes to finding pants that fit properly. She believes the lack of sizing options reflects a larger issue within the fashion industry, where diversity in body shapes is still overlooked.
When everything is made for one body type, it makes you question whether the problem is you or the design itself,” she said.
Even staying active presents challenges. At the gym, she has to be extra cautious during workouts to avoid injuring her natural curves, which she proudly describes as “factory-original.”
Still, Kerolay maintains a disciplined fitness routine and says she has learned how to train safely and effectively without compromising her figure.
Despite the frustrations, she remains unapologetically confident. “I love my body. I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said. But her message is clear: society needs to do more to accommodate and celebrate a wider range of body types not just in fashion, but in public infrastructure and everyday life.
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