"I've got beauty privilege after losing four stone - people treat me better now I'm thinner"
- 9 months ago
A woman says she has "beauty privilege" and is treated better now she's thinner - after losing four stone.
Queen Stephania Esposito, 23, tipped the scales at 16st and struggled to squeeze into a size 16 at her biggest.
After discovering her blood sugar levels were extremely high, diabetic Queen decided to lose weight for her health and over five weeks shed 2st 11lbs.
By March 2023, Queen weighed 13st 7lbs and lost a further 1st 8lbs after starting to work out at the gym and reducing her portion sizes.
She now tips the scales at 11st and can slip into a size 12 with ease.
Queen now no longer has to use insulin due to her weight loss and her blood sugar levels being stable.
But despite her impressive achievement, Queen feels that her new look is the reason behind people being "nicer and smilier" to her and why she is invited to more events.
She says she's experiencing "beauty privilege" - where she feels that people are treating her better than they used to because of her weight and size - leaving her feeling "heartbroken".
Queen, a finance officer, from Braintree, Essex, said: "I don't know where I got the strength to fast, but I just kept going.
"Eventually I lost the weight around week three and then week four was a massive difference - it was like switching the light off and back on.
"The difference in people's perception of me was crazy.
"You'd just go to the shop, and I'd feel like the cashier would be nicer to me.
"I felt like people would smile more at me.
"The number of times I was invited to social events before I lost the weight was so low and now that I'm 'attractive', I am suddenly invited to more.
"When I was overweight, and I would say I want to eat again or go for a second plate I would get judgy comments.
"Now that I'm not overweight people will encourage you to have another plate.
"It makes it seem like overweight people aren't allowed to like food at all.
"One other thing that I noticed is when people speak to me, they come a lot closer - before I don't know if they thought I was going to eat them or something, but they would stand further back."
Queen had initially hoped to be approved for the weight loss drug, Ozempic, but she says she was refused due to a shortage.
She said: "My blood sugar level was extremely high, and I was on a large amount of insulin and one pen would only last three days when it should have lasted a week or more.
"I got to a point where I spoke to my doctors to see if I could be put on Ozempic, but they said there was a shortage.
"It was me against myself.
"The amount of underlying health conditions you can get with type 2 diabetes, I knew I had to take it into my own hands."
Queen shared a video on social media explaining some of the changes she's noticed in how people act around her since her weight loss.
As well as being invited to events more frequently, she says she finally feels "worthy" to hang out with and that people are "more kind, respectful and open to conversations."
She said: "Now I feel more confident and having people treat you nicer does makes you feel better.
"But it's heartbreaking that people weren't like that before.
"Before I had to be very selective about what I was wearing, whereas now I can wear what I like.
"Now that I'm able to shop at a smaller size it gives me more variety."
Although Queen says she is "happy" with her progress, she "wishes" people would treat her in the same way, regardless of looks.
She said: "It was heartbreaking. It made me feel like I didn't deserve respect or help just because of my weight.
"It's just some simple human decency.
"People would judge me just off my appearance.
"So many people have to go through that on a daily basis and they might not be able to lose weight because of genetics - it makes me feel some type of way.
"There's no way you should be treating me better just because of my weight.
"Throughout my journey of losing weight and facing health challenges, what mattered most to me was being treated with kindness, respect, and understanding, regardless of how I looked.
"The last thing I wanted was to experience any form of discrimination or judgment based on my appearance.
"I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with empathy and compassion, regardless of their external appearance.
"Everyone deserves to receive kindness be valued and accepted just as they are and not because they’re 'skinny and prettier'."
Queen Stephania Esposito, 23, tipped the scales at 16st and struggled to squeeze into a size 16 at her biggest.
After discovering her blood sugar levels were extremely high, diabetic Queen decided to lose weight for her health and over five weeks shed 2st 11lbs.
By March 2023, Queen weighed 13st 7lbs and lost a further 1st 8lbs after starting to work out at the gym and reducing her portion sizes.
She now tips the scales at 11st and can slip into a size 12 with ease.
Queen now no longer has to use insulin due to her weight loss and her blood sugar levels being stable.
But despite her impressive achievement, Queen feels that her new look is the reason behind people being "nicer and smilier" to her and why she is invited to more events.
She says she's experiencing "beauty privilege" - where she feels that people are treating her better than they used to because of her weight and size - leaving her feeling "heartbroken".
Queen, a finance officer, from Braintree, Essex, said: "I don't know where I got the strength to fast, but I just kept going.
"Eventually I lost the weight around week three and then week four was a massive difference - it was like switching the light off and back on.
"The difference in people's perception of me was crazy.
"You'd just go to the shop, and I'd feel like the cashier would be nicer to me.
"I felt like people would smile more at me.
"The number of times I was invited to social events before I lost the weight was so low and now that I'm 'attractive', I am suddenly invited to more.
"When I was overweight, and I would say I want to eat again or go for a second plate I would get judgy comments.
"Now that I'm not overweight people will encourage you to have another plate.
"It makes it seem like overweight people aren't allowed to like food at all.
"One other thing that I noticed is when people speak to me, they come a lot closer - before I don't know if they thought I was going to eat them or something, but they would stand further back."
Queen had initially hoped to be approved for the weight loss drug, Ozempic, but she says she was refused due to a shortage.
She said: "My blood sugar level was extremely high, and I was on a large amount of insulin and one pen would only last three days when it should have lasted a week or more.
"I got to a point where I spoke to my doctors to see if I could be put on Ozempic, but they said there was a shortage.
"It was me against myself.
"The amount of underlying health conditions you can get with type 2 diabetes, I knew I had to take it into my own hands."
Queen shared a video on social media explaining some of the changes she's noticed in how people act around her since her weight loss.
As well as being invited to events more frequently, she says she finally feels "worthy" to hang out with and that people are "more kind, respectful and open to conversations."
She said: "Now I feel more confident and having people treat you nicer does makes you feel better.
"But it's heartbreaking that people weren't like that before.
"Before I had to be very selective about what I was wearing, whereas now I can wear what I like.
"Now that I'm able to shop at a smaller size it gives me more variety."
Although Queen says she is "happy" with her progress, she "wishes" people would treat her in the same way, regardless of looks.
She said: "It was heartbreaking. It made me feel like I didn't deserve respect or help just because of my weight.
"It's just some simple human decency.
"People would judge me just off my appearance.
"So many people have to go through that on a daily basis and they might not be able to lose weight because of genetics - it makes me feel some type of way.
"There's no way you should be treating me better just because of my weight.
"Throughout my journey of losing weight and facing health challenges, what mattered most to me was being treated with kindness, respect, and understanding, regardless of how I looked.
"The last thing I wanted was to experience any form of discrimination or judgment based on my appearance.
"I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with empathy and compassion, regardless of their external appearance.
"Everyone deserves to receive kindness be valued and accepted just as they are and not because they’re 'skinny and prettier'."