In daily life, some "plus-size people" are prone to receiving strange looks, and the single aesthetic standard that equates beauty with thinness also aggravates their lack of self-confidence. A survey of 2,000 respondents conducted by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily in collaboration with wenjuan.com shows that 55.4% of respondents believe there is no need to excessively pursue an extreme figure, and that a well-proportioned and healthy body is what constitutes beauty; 78.4% of respondents feel that society should give obese people more tolerance and respect; and 65.7% of respondents suggest providing more humanized public services.

55.4% of respondents believe there is no need to excessively pursue an extreme figure, and that a well-proportioned and healthy body is what constitutes beauty

"Before having children I was slightly chubby, at 120 jin, and after having two children my weight has stayed at 140 jin," said Zhou Lulu, a mother of two in Shenyang, Liaoning. She said it is now hard to find suitable and good-looking clothes.

Nowadays, some people pursue extreme figure standards such as the A4 waist. In response, 32.8% of respondents consider this entirely a distorted aesthetic that should not be promoted; 55.4% of respondents believe there is no need to pursue it excessively and that a well-proportioned and healthy body is what constitutes beauty; only 11.8% of respondents believe this is a manifestation of love for beauty and is understandable.

"When I want to try on clothes while shopping, the shop assistant will remind me that they won't fit. This seemingly well-intentioned reminder can sometimes really sting, but there's nothing to be done—many clothes are one-size-fits-all or only available in small sizes." Zhou Lulu feels that some brands promoting small-size cuts have fueled the distorted aesthetic.

Sun Miao, a university student in Beijing, believes that one can make a fitness plan and stick to exercise, which is good for both physical and mental health, but there is no need to force oneself to slim down to a certain number of jin. "Some celebrities and internet influencers are already very thin, yet they still constantly control their diet in pursuit of an extreme figure. I think ordinary people have absolutely no need to do this—health is the most beautiful thing."

78.4% of respondents feel that society should give obese people more tolerance and respect

Zhao Jun, a post-90s Shanghai native, is a "plus-size person." "When I was little, my right ear was injured and I couldn't hear. I only recovered my hearing after taking medicine, but perhaps because the medicine contained hormones, I became a 'fatty,' and for a long time my weight was 240 jin."

Zhao Jun never picks brands when buying clothes—as long as they fit, that's fine. If a certain brand has special sizes, he will frequent it, but generally he still buys online, where it is easier to find plus-size clothes. "Winter clothes are fine, but summer T-shirts are a hassle to buy, because T-shirts really show the belly, so I have to buy a larger size, but then I look even less energetic."

In the survey, 31.4% of respondents said they might hold prejudice against a person because of obesity, 54.8% said they would not, and 13.8% said it was hard to say.

Recalling past experiences, Zhao Jun has also been through some awkward moments. "Some less sturdy stools might break when I sit on them. Once I went to a classmate's family dinner, and before the meal everyone sat on the bed chatting. Seven or eight people sat on one bed and it collapsed. Everyone thought it was my fault, even though I was the first to sit down."

"When the elevator is full and the doors can't close, everyone will also turn their eyes to me." Although Zhao Jun has encountered some similar situations, overall he feels the atmosphere around him is fairly friendly. "I haven't failed to make friends because of obesity—my friends all take good care of me. On trains or high-speed rail, I might crowd the person next to me, but I've never been complained about; everyone is fairly tolerant."

"I've always eaten not too much, but I'm already a 'plus-size person.' Losing weight is really hard and requires great willpower, and maintaining weight after slimming down requires even greater willpower." Zhao Jun now maintains his weight at around 190 jin by eating less at night and exercising every day.

Sun Miao has read a study showing that after weight loss the body's metabolic rate decreases, so eating the same food burns fewer calories than before, meaning one has to eat even less to maintain weight. "From my own experience, after losing weight the body's desire for high-calorie food is stronger than before."

Zhao Jun feels that obese people need to be more self-disciplined and try to keep their weight within a normal range, and that society should also be friendlier to obese people. "I've encountered people who swear at me and call me 'fat pig.' That's something I cannot accept. I hope everyone can show more respect when facing people who are different from themselves."

"I think a person's body type is related to genetics. My whole family is on the chubbier, sturdier side. I've always digested quickly and gotten hungry easily, so I eat a lot every day, but I've found that some people don't eat much yet are fatter than me." When Zhou Lulu sees people with a larger weight base, she does not think it is necessarily due to a lack of self-control—"there may be reasons behind it that we don't understand."

The survey shows that 78.4% of respondents believe society should give obese people more tolerance and respect.

"We need to know our strengths and weaknesses. Thinking you're bad or thinking you're great are both somewhat wrong mindsets," said Zhao Jun. He said plus-size people may take up others' space when traveling, and while they hope for more tolerance and understanding, they should also be aware of the problems obesity brings. "Being excessively obese easily leads to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. When I was 240 jin my blood pressure was a bit high and I also had severe fatty liver; only when I dropped to just over 180 jin did my blood pressure return to normal. So from the perspective of one's own health, one should still try to keep weight within a reasonable range."

65.7% of respondents look forward to more humanized public services

Zhao Jun believes that obese people should first be at peace with themselves and accept themselves, and not care too much about others' opinions. "There are also times when we benefit from our body type—for example, people often say chubby people are cute, and we're easy to remember. At every stage of my schooling, teachers and classmates got to know me quickly because of my size. That's also an advantage."

To help obese people better integrate into social life, 65.7% of respondents suggest providing more humanized public services, such as wider seats on high-speed rail; 62.2% of respondents believe society should be tolerant and understanding of "plus-size people" and reduce prejudice and discrimination; 61.7% of respondents suggest guiding the public to abandon a single aesthetic orientation and respect individual differences; 47.3% of respondents hope to encourage "plus-size people" not to mind judgmental looks and to embrace the world with a positive and sunny attitude; and 20.4% of respondents look forward to popularizing the causes of obesity and abandoning stereotyped perceptions.

Zhou Lulu believes that individual differences should be respected, and that people should not make wild guesses and casually label "plus-size people."

Zhao Jun hopes that more health trails will be laid in parks and sports venues. "For us 'plus-size people,' exercise puts a lot of strain on the knees, so we hope the construction of rubber running tracks can be improved. In addition, I'm from the south, and the thing I found hardest to adapt to when studying in the north was public bathhouses, because I'm reluctant to undress in public. I still hope there will be some private stalls. I hope these public facilities can take our needs into account from the very beginning of their design."

Among the respondents to this survey, 16.1% were born in the 2000s, 42.1% in the 1990s, 33.0% in the 1980s, 7.0% in the 1970s, and 1.8% in the 1960s. Men accounted for 42.5% and women for 57.5%.