Kiwi mum fat-shamed by flight attendant strikes back

Dressed in a large jacket to hide her body, Kayla Martin was already feeling self-conscious as she waited at Auckland airport for her flight to Queensland for a holiday.

But what happened when the New Zealand woman boarded her plane caused "pure embarrassment and shame" — and also changed her life for the better.

Martin, 25, has taken to Instagram to share the humiliating comments from a flight attendant that sparked her journey towards better health, which has so far seen her lose an impressive 31kg.

The mother-of-three said the incident began when she got on the plane bound for Queensland and struggled to find her seatbelt.

"The airline hostess found it appropriate to announce in the middle of a quiet plane that, due to my size, I would need to use the seat-belt extension that mums travelling [with] babies needed and maybe next time I should consider booking two seats to accommodate for my size to ensure a more 'comfortable' flight for myself and other passengers," Martin wrote.

"The feeling of pure embarrassment and shame is something I'll never forget. I loved myself so little back then that I let that airline hostess treat me that way.

"I believed I wasn't deserving of the same respect that she was showing the rest of the passengers because, in my head, I was worth less than every skinny person on that plane."

As much as the flight attendant's remarks hurt, they also sparked a determination in Martin to find a way to love her body again.

"The day I started LOVING myself enough to start taking care of ME and nourishing my body was the day I turned a new page," she said.

Ms Martin's Instagram account is filled with updates on her mission towards better health and fitness.

Most importantly, she said, was learning to love herself.

"Don't forget babes, no matter your size or shape, colour or culture, you are worth just as much as everyone else," she said.

"Love yourself enough to take a stand for yourself and doing things for YOU. The rest will start to fall into place from there. I am a walking testament to that."