TikToker Miss Jackie reveals the everyday struggles plus-size people rarely talk about

TikToker Miss Jackie has opened up about the everyday experiences of being plus-size, sharing a series of funny, awkward and uncomfortable situations she said many plus-size people can relate to.

In a TikTok video shared on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Miss Jackie listed some of the things she encounters, from matatu rides and clothes shopping to unsolicited comments about her body.

One of the first experiences she highlighted was being approached by conductors, drivers, cyclists and street vendors who make comments about her size.

“Then they say the most obnoxious shit like, ‘Haka ni size yangu.’ Guy, oh my God,” she said.

Miss Jackie also recalled being called names such as “kanono” and “maffrumbanya”, describing some of the comments as particularly uncomfortable.

“Kwanza hiyo ya, ‘ui ni size yangu,’ yuck,” she said.

The matatu and Jackets struggle

Public transport, she said, comes with its own set of challenges.

Miss Jackie joked about having to carefully choose where to sit in a matatu, particularly when travelling in smaller vehicles.

“Hiyo stori ya kupanda mat, kukaa kwa mlango and then having kushuka shuka ndio wase wengine waingie. No, no, no,” she said.

She also spoke about sitting next to passengers who take up more space.

“Kama umekaa na msee mtiaji ama msee ana manspread, ujue tu utatoka, utatoka Ruiru mpaka town CBD, ukie umekaa chini na haga moja,” she joked.

According to Miss Jackie, choosing a seat can itself become a strategic exercise.

“In your head, kwanza na, another thing nakupanda matatu, you have to psychoanalyse where you’re going to sit,” she said.

Miss Jackie also revealed that she dislikes wearing jackets because they make her feel even bulkier.

She joked that she would rather endure the cold than put on a jacket, adding that removing one can also be a struggle because of how it feels against her body.

“I’d rather just die of cold,” she joked.

‘I didn’t say I was ugly’

Miss Jackie also took issue with the way some people respond when she describes herself as fat.

She said people often rush to tell her, “No, no, you’re beautiful,” as though saying she is fat automatically means she is calling herself ugly.

“I didn’t say I was ugly,” she said, explaining that acknowledging her body size and describing herself as beautiful are not mutually exclusive.

She also recalled people questioning how she can feel cold because she is plus-size, with some joking that body fat should keep her warm.

Miss Jackie said such comments can come across as backhanded rather than funny.

Clothes shopping can be a struggle

Shopping for clothes, she said, is another major challenge.

Miss Jackie said plus-size shoppers can struggle to find fashionable clothes in their sizes, while shop attendants sometimes bring them items that are either too large, too long or simply do not fit properly.

She said her height and body shape make the process even more complicated because she is short, has a smaller waist compared with her hips and needs larger clothing sizes.

She joked about attendants stretching clothes and insisting that they are stretchy, sometimes exaggerating how much the material can expand.

Even visiting friends requires planning

Miss Jackie also joked about how she plans visits to people’s homes.

She recalled asking friends where they live and whether their buildings have lifts before agreeing to visit.

If someone tells her they live on the sixth floor without a lift, she said she immediately starts reconsidering the trip.

She joked that she personally prefers living on the ground or first floor and does not want to keep climbing several flights of stairs.