>>> TESS HOLLIDAY IS NOT ONLY A
PLUS-SIZED MODEL, MOTHER, AND
AUTHOR, SHE'S ALSO BEEN NAMED
ONE OF "TIME"'S HOST INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET.
WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK WITH HER
LIVE IN A MINUTE.
FIRST, WATCH THIS.
>> Reporter: MISSISSIPPI-BORN
TESS HOLLIDAY MADE HISTORY,
BEING THE LARGEST MODEL TO BE
SIGNED.
APPEARING IN ADS FOR DERMILOGICA
AND JCPENNEY.
SHE HAS 1.6 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON
INSTAGRAM AND 1.7 MILLION ON
FA
FACEBOOK.
THIS MOTHER OF TWO IS AT THE
FOREFRONT OF THE BODY POSITIVE
MOVEMENT AFTER YEARS OF INTENSE
BULLYING ABOUT HER SIZE.
WRITING OPENLY ABOUT HER
STRUGGLES IN HER BOOK, "THE NOT
SO SUBTLE ART OF BEING A FAT
GIRL."
NOW, HOLLIDAY IS GRACING THE
COVER OF "SELF"'S FIRST DIGITAL
ISSUE, REMINDING PEOPLE HER
WEIGHT IS NO ONE BUSINESS BUT
HER OWN.
TESS HOLLIDAY IS HERE WITH US
NOW.
CONGRATULATIONS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS COVER IS?
>> YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KEEPS
ASKING ME THAT, AND I DON'T
THINK THAT I'VE FULLY PROCESSED
IT.
I WAS QUITE EMOTIONAL ON SET,
BUT SEEING IT COME OUT AND
GETTING ALL OF THE FEEDBACK FROM
SOME OF MY VERY CRITICAL
FRIENDS, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU
HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS
YEARS, I THINK IT'S KIND OF
STARTING TO SINK IN.
BUT "SELF" MAGAZINE SET THE
PRECEDENT.
THEY HIT EVERYBODY ELSE'S HEELS
ON FIRE AND SAID, YOU GUYS NEED
TO WAKE UP.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING.
>> I FEEL LIKE THE REAL PROGRESS
WILL BE MADE WHEN THIS IS NO BIG
DEAL.
>> YEAH.
>> RIGHT?
>> IT IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING
TO SEE, LIKE, WHEN IT IS NOT IN
THE PRESS.
TO SEE HOW PEOPLE FOLLOW.
THE GOOD THING IS, I'M NOT GOING
ANYWHERE.
I PLAN TO DO MORE OF THIS.
>> YOU REALLY ARE A TRAIL BLAZER
THOUGH.
YOU'RE ONE OF THE FIRST IN SORT
OF THE BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT.
>> YEAH.
>> THAT WASN'T A THING.
I KNOW YOU USE THE TERM, FAT
POSITIVITY ACTIVIST.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE TERM?
MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE THE TERM,
FAT, IS A NEGATIVE, AND THEY
SHOULDN'T USE IT.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I PUT IT IN
THE TITLE OF MY BOOK.
TO BASICALLY RECLAIM IT AND SAY,
YOU KNOW WHAT, GUYS, I AM FAT,
BUT I ALSO AM A REDHEAD, AND I'M
A MOM, AND I'M A PIZZA
ENTHUSIAST.
YOU KNOW?
IT'S JUST HOW I CHOOSE TO
DESCRIBE MYSELF.
THERE'S NO SHAME IN IT FOR ME.
BY RECLAIMING THE WORD, IT'S
BASICALLY TELLING OTHER PEOPLE,
LIKE, YOU CAN BE WHO YOU WANT TO
BE.
THERE'S NO SHAME IN IT.
IF THAT'S HOW YOU'RE HAPPY, DO
YOU.
>> WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL SO
STRONGLY ABOUT THE ISSUE OF
WEIGHT?
YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, I'M ALSO A
REDHEAD.
NOBODY JUDGES YOU FOR BEING A
REDHEAD.
PEOPLE JUDGE YOU BASED ON BODY
SIZE.
>> THERE IS A GUY ON TWITTER,
BARRY, WHO WAS LIKE, I'M PAYING
ALL THIS MONEY FOR YOUR HEALTH
INSURANCE FOR FUTURE COSTS.
I WAS LIKE, I'M FINE.
I PAY MY OWN HEALTH INSURANCE.
I PAY TAXES.
YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
ME.
FOR SOME REASON, PEOPLE ARE SO
WORRIED.
BASICALLY, PEOPLE LOOK AT ME,
AND THEY ARE SO TERRIFIED TO BE
ME, TO BE FAT, THAT THEY'RE
JUST, LIKE, ANYTHING THEY CAN
DO, THEY'RE LIKE, NO.
THE REALITY IS, I'M HAPPY AND
THRIVING AND LIVING MY DREAMS.
YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY FOR ME.
BUT THEY'RE MISERABLE.
THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
>> I READ THAT YOU SAID, LOOK,
I'M NOT TRYING TO RECRUIT
PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
>> I'M TRYING TO LIVE MY OWN
LIFE.
>> 100%.
I'M NOT SELLING TUPPERWARE.
NO ONE IS GOING TO LOOK AT ME ON
THE COVER OF "SELF" AND BE LIKE,
I WANT TO GAIN WEIGHT AND BE
THAT FAT, YOU KNOW?
>> YOU, TOO, CAN DO IT.
>> YEAH, RIGHT?
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS BASICALLY
SAYING, IT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE
HEARING, LOVE YOURSELF, FROM
SOMEONE WHO HAPPENS TO EXIST IN
A FAT BODY.
I THINK THAT'S SHOCKING FOR
SOME -- OR FOR A LOT.
>> TESS HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT
AND HAS BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT HER
BATTLES, INCLUDING HER BATTLE
WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION,
SOMETHING MILLIONS OF WOMEN DEAL
>>> BACK NOW WITH PLUS-SIZED
MODEL TESS HOLLIDAY.
IS IT TRUE THIS COVER SHOOT IS
THE FIRST SHOOT YOU'VE DONE
WITHOUT SHAPEWEAR, LIKE THE
SPANX OR WHATEVER?
>> YEAH, IT WAS THE FIRST ONE
I'VE DONE WITHOUT SHAPEWEAR AND
WITHOUT A BRA.
I HAD LIKE SWIM TOPS ON AND
STUFF.
IT WAS FUN.
IT WAS FREEING.
REALLY COMFY, EXCEPT FOR LAYING
IN THE GRASS AND GETTING ALL
SCRATCHED UP.
THAT WAS MY IDEA, SO I CAN'T
BLAME ANYBODY.
>> I GIVE YOU MAJOR PROPS FOR
GETTING RID OF THE SPANX.
I WOULD NOT GO ON TELEVISION IN
THAT CONDITION.
NEVER DO.
CAROLYN IS WITH US NOW, THE
EDITOR IN CHIEF OF "SHELF,"
-- H IS N
"SELF," WHICH IS NOW DIGITAL.
THEY CHOSE TESS FOR A REASON.
>> "SELF" IS A HEALTH BRAND.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO LIVE HEALTHIER
LIVES, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO
SHOW A BROAD DIVERSITY OF
PEOPLE.
>> YOU WROTE SORT OF A LETTER
ABOUT TESS.
YOU SAID, LOOK, PEOPLE WHO
ENGAGE IN CONCERN TROLLING WHEN
IT COMES TO OVERWEIGHT OR HEAVY
PEOPLE, YOU'RE NOT HELPING.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
>> YEAH.
>> PEOPLE SAY, IT'S NOT HELPING.
>> RIGHT.
PEOPLE SAY THAT ALL THE TIME.
IT'S RUDE.
IT'S SUPER UNHELPFUL.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SHAMING
PEOPLE FOR THEIR WEIGHT DOES NOT
HELP THEM BECOME ANY HEALTHIER.
IT HURTS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
IT DOESN'T LEAD TO WEIGHT LOSS.
IN FACT, IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH
WEIGHT GAIN.
IF YOU ARE GENUINELY CONCERNED
ABOUT SOMEBODY'S HEALTH, THE
LAST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS
TREAT THEM LIKE GARBAGE.
>> I DO FEEL LIKE WEIGHT IS ONE
OF THE ONLY AREAS WHERE PEOPLE
FEEL LIKE THEY CAN WEIGH IN.
IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY SMOKING A
CIGARETTE ON THE STREET, YOU
DON'T WALK OVER AND SAY, GET
THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF MINE HOW
YOU CHOOSE OR YOU CHOOSE OR YOU
CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE?
IF IT IS NOT HURTING ME, MOST OF
US KEEP OUR MOUTHS SHUT.
TESS, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOU IS
YOU'RE VERY OPEN, AND YOU'RE
GIVING US A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE ON WEIGHT.
AS SOMEBODY WHO COMES FROM -- MY
MOTHER LOVES WHEN I POINT THIS
OUT -- BUT A LONG LINE OF HEAVY
PEOPLE, I APPRECIATE IT.
THE BULLYING THEY WENT THROUGH
WAS HEARTBREAKING TO ME AS A
KID.
YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN OPEN ABOUT
YOUR BATTLE WITH POST PARTUM
DEPRESSION.
THIS IS SOMETHING FEW WOMEN ARE
WILLING TO TALK ABOUT.
THEY THINK PEOPLE WILL THINK
THEY DON'T LOVE THEIR KID OR
SOMETHING, WHICH IS COMPLETELY
WRONG.
YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN.
DID YOU HAVE IT WITH BOTH OF
THEM?
>> A LITTLE BIT WITH RILEY, MY
12-YEAR-OLD, BUT I HAD SEVERE
AND DELAYED MOST PARTUM WITH
BOWIE, MY 2-YEAR-OLD.
>> HOW DID IT MANIFEST FOR YOU?
>> I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT FIRST.
I WENT BACK TO WORK FIVE WEEKS
AFTER BEING BOWIE.
I HAD A CAESAREAN.
IT WAS A LOT.
I WAS NOT MY BEST.
I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE
BECAUSE OF WORK.
I WENT BACK.
I THINK I JUST HAD A LOT OF
STRAIN FROM WORK AND THINGS LIKE
THAT, MY RELATIONSHIP.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IN ABOUT
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER OF THIS PAST
YEAR, I STARTED HAVING REALLY
DARK THOUGHTS.
I COULDN'T REALLY FIGURE OUT
WHY.
THEN IT WAS MY HUSBAND,
BASICALLY, TELLING ME, I'VE
NEVER SEEN YOU LIKE THIS.
I TOLD HIM I FELT LIKE I WAS
DROWNING.
I SAW MY DOCTOR AND STARTED
TAKING MEDICATION.
I STARTED DOING SELF-CARE.
I'M BETTER NOW, BUT IT WAS
REALLY DARK FOR A REALLY LONG
TIME.
>> WOW.
YOU'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF TO A
BETTER PLACE?
>> I HAVE, YEAH.
I REALIZED THROUGH ALL OF IT
THAT I WAS SO BUSY TAKING CARE
OF EVERYONE ELSE AROUND ME, I
WASN'T TAKING CARE OF MYSELF.
AS A MOM, YOU'RE NO GOOD TO YOUR
CHILDREN OR YOUR FAMILY IF YOU
AREN'T LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF
MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.
I KNOW PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT.
>> FOR ME, I LOOK AT THAT
BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF YOU, AND I
SEE TRIUMPH OVER A LOT.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, CHECK