Woman's Response to Needing Seatbelt Extender on Flight Cheered—'Motivation'

A video of a woman's response to requiring a seat belt extender on a plane has gone viral on TikTok.

The footage was shared from the TikTok account Skye Loses 200 Pounds (@skyetransforms) and had over 582,000 views at the time of writing.

A message overlaid on the clip reads: "My husband had to ask for a seat belt extender for me on the airplane yesterday because I was too embarrassed.

"Instead of wallowing in sadness and eating an insane amount of food to make me feel better, I found a park on day 1 of our vacation to exercise," the message says. The footage shows a woman running outdoors along a waterfront.

The woman in the post is far from alone in her battles with weight. Just under half (41.9 percent) of adults in the U.S. aged 20 and over were reported to be obese, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) carried out between 2017 and March 2020.

The body mass index (BMI) is a widely used measure of whether people are a healthy weight. A BMI of 30 or higher falls within the obesity range, while those with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.

According to a December 2018 NHANES report, the mean age-adjusted body weight among women was reported to be 170.6 pounds in 2015–2016, up from 163.8 pounds in 1999–2000.

A January 2019 study published in the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, conducted among Spanish adult plane passengers, said: "The increase in size (body mass and stature) and changing proportions of the human body over the past few decades should be considered in the ergonomic design of economy class airline seats."

The study cited "a minimum legroom between 68.1 and 70.1 cm, and seat width between 50.2 and 52.3 cm.

"It is necessary to increase the minimum space in economy airline seats, specifically in terms of legroom and seat width," and "an international law should regulate a minimum SP [seat pitch—the distance between two rows of seats], LR [leg room] and SW [seat width] for commercial airplanes."

Airplanes suck when you’re big. Needing a seatbelt extender. Not drinking anything for hours so you don’t have to use the tiny bathrooms. Trying not to hit anyone when walking down the tight aisle. Sitting awkwardly so your shoulders don’t touch the person next to you. All reasons I want to lose weight. Even though yesterday was hard for me mentally, I’m not letting it set me back. Right back to eating well and exercising. #seatbeltextender #fitnessmotivaton #beginnerrunner

A caption with the latest TikTok post reads: "Airplanes suck when you're big. Needing a seatbelt extender. Not drinking anything for hours so you don't have to use the tiny bathrooms. Trying not to hit anyone when walking down the tight aisle. Sitting awkwardly so your shoulders don't touch the person next to you."

The caption continues: "All reasons I want to lose weight. Even though yesterday was hard for me mentally, I'm not letting it set me back. Right back to eating well and exercising."

The woman in the latest post has been praised by other TikTokers, who shared messages of support.

User scottiehyattfrost said: "Cheering you on. That's the perfect attitude. I'm right there with you. We can do this."

User gina rocco wrote: "You got this! Go girl go!!"

Dynasty Trick Dogs / Holly said: "great job!! proud of you. get it, this is for you!!"

User anotsolittlemermaid said: "Heck yes girl! Trust me when I say, the feeling of no longer having to ask for one is absolutely incredible!"

User big papa noted: "Your motivation is beautiful but please make sure to enjoy yourself and save the stress for a week once home, and fuel motivation again with this."

Janel added: "Please enjoy your vacation. You have the whole year to worry about life, but vacations are precious time. Hugs to you."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. The video hasn't been independently verified.

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