New ITV series, The 18-30 Stone Holiday. Source: ITV
A hotel has opened catering for guests who weigh between 18 and 30 stone (114-190kg) so they can enjoy a holiday without worrying about taunts and insults from fellow travellers.
The Resort, on the Caribbean island of Eleuthera, is custom-built for large sizes, with chairs that are a metre wide, extra-wide room doorways and steel reinforced bedframes and sun loungers. It also features an eat-what-you-want buffet serving comfort food three times a day, reports the Sunday Telegraph.
The resort, which claims to be the world's only hotel built exclusively for plus-sized people, is designed to help guests not only feel more comfortable on holiday, but re-evaluate their bodies and their self-image.
Ami, Steven, Holly and Alice walking together on the beach where the group confronted body confidence issues. Photo / Spungold
James King, owner of The Resort, said: "It's a sanctuary. It's a place where you can come and have a good holiday without any judgment whatsoever."
A group of British tourists is now to test his promise as part of a new ITV series, The 18-30 Stone Holiday. The programme makers say the group will undergo a "radical new approach to confronting the prejudice they encounter because of their size.
"They'll be challenged to face their innermost fears, and inspired to find a new confidence to overcome their inhibitions, in a week that could transform their lives."
Activities at the resort, which has a private 8km-long beach away from prying eyes, will include group therapy sessions, sharing their worst photographs and receiving counselling on body issues from Mel Cohen, a size-27 model from Glasgow.
In the group of Britons featured are Adam, 32, and his wife Ami, 28, from Stoke-on-Trent, who weigh 142kg and 155kg respectively. They say that going to The Resort is their chance for a second honeymoon.
Married couple Ami, 155kg, and Adam, 142kg, from stoke On Trent, take a boat trip together in their swimming costumes. Photo / Spungold
Ami said: "Our honeymoon was spent arguing. We rowed a lot over me not wanting to go to the pool because I could see that there were people there who looked immaculate."
She was so mortified by how she looked that she deleted almost every photo of their honeymoon.
Adam is hoping that during the week at The Resort, Ami will finally pluck up the courage to reveal her body in public for the first time.
Confident Holly wanted to show plus-sized people they can be confident in their own skins. Photo / Spungold
Included in the group is plus-size model Holly Macgillivray, 27, from Ruthin in Denbighshire, who wants to help her fellow guests feel more comfortable with their bodies.
"I'm not shy but I wanted to go on there to show that fat people are not ugly, they can have nice make-up and clothes and give a positive image," said the 162kg model.
