Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

Original post by Misty

Oct 03, 2003 01:15 PM

New Resort Invites People to Live Large
Thu Oct 2, 1:08 PM ET Add U.S. National - Reuters to My Yahoo!

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kelly Durst had always dreamed of going to the beach and having the water caress her sunburned toes. But at 287 pounds, she was always too self-conscious to don swimwear and get a tan. Until now.

Freedom Paradise, a 112-room resort south of Cancun, Mexico, is the world's first resort designed for the obese. The facilities include wide steps with railings to get into and out of swimming pools, instead of thin ladders. The bathrooms have walk-in showers -- with no tubs -- and many showers have benches to enable people to shower while sitting down.

The rooms have extra-wide doors, king-size beds and armless furniture designed specifically for overweight people. Chairs are twice as wide as normal and hammocks are made of stronger fabric. And the gift shop features 5XL polo shirts sporting the resort's logo: Live Large, Live Free.

'Plus-size people want to have fun. They want to go out to restaurants, to the movies, to the beach,' said Jurriaan Klink, operations manager at the resort.

'But they always have to think: 'Will the chairs be big enough? Are they going to stare at me when I get into my bikini? Can I take a second helping of food without being snickered at?' Now they don't have to worry anymore.'

Klink and his partner, Julio Rinco, bought two hotels on a secluded beach in Mexico and spent $2 million renovating them to accommodate the obese. They opened the resort in July and expect to break even as early as February.

'This is a market that's bursting to go out. Most of these people have been postponing their fun activities until they lose weight,' said Klink. 'Now they can have a life and have fun while they are plus-size.'

The staff goes through mandatory sensitivity training to ensure guests feel comfortable. As part of the training, they watch the movie 'Beauty and The Beast' to learn that people should not be judged on their appearance.

'Such training is of essence, because people can be physically comfortable and still miserable if they are emotionally uncomfortable,' said Kelly Bliss, a fitness instructor for large people, who plans to visit the resort this month.

During a recent Reuters visit to the resort, not many large guests were seen. But resort officials said they expect more plus-size people as word gets out.

Bliss is one of many people who have reservations at Freedom Paradise for this year or early next year.

Thirty five-year-old Durst, who has not been to a beach in 22 years, is another one planning to go to the resort and said she can't wait to get a tan. 'I'm just waiting for my husband to get some time off.'

Misty Posted: Oct 03, 2003 02:49 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

If you go to the site:

http://www.freedomparadise.com/

you will see that the gimmick is on the idea that people of all sizes can be comfortable there. That is the ONLY gimmick. The food is the same food that is served at Sandals, Beaches, Club Med...and every other resort around.

The ARTICLES written about it are what brings the emphasis to the food...not the place.

And this is in big letters on the bottom of the 'concept' page:

AT FREEDOM PARADISE HOTELS WE ARE AWARE THAT YOU SHOULDN'T WAIT TO LOSE WEIGHT TO START DOING THE THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO. ENJOY YOUR LIFE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TODAY…

yabbobay Posted: Oct 03, 2003 02:52 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

to me vacations are to enjoy myself...and I eat a little more than I usually do...

I just don't see why someone who is obese can't do that as well...

noone can tell someone what they can and can't eat...

Lunatrek Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:07 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

That's all true, I am just trying to look at it from a 'we are the fattest country in the world and we shouldn't be proud of that' standpoint. But hey, it's your life... to each his own! I'm not going to point fingers, I certainly have plenty of my own faults. 'Judge not lest ye be judged' and all of that.

dkga1026 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:18 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

There really isn't anything bad about this and it isn't any of my business what people eat. But the major thing that I see wrong is that it doesn't address the real issue which is mostly self-esteem. You can't just create a special environment for every group of people who isn't comfortable with somehting in their appearance. So many people are born with physical characterstics that (they think) make them less attractive. Unlike most obese people, these individuals really can't do anything about it unless they resort to plastic surgery. The whole notion of separate 'safe havens' based on physical attributes is kind of disturbing.

What-Now Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:21 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I can just see the headlines in the newspapers: 'They knew my wife/sister/brother/husband was obese and had a heart condition and still they encoraged him/her to eat heavy fatening hi calories diet! So now we are suieing FredomeParadise Hotel for 30 million dollars because they killed my wife/sister/brother/husband!' This is going to be another McDonalds case!

yabbobay Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:22 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I completely agree that this is an epidemic...but the resort is in Mexico...so that problem solves a lot of the legal issues

alina Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:24 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

You're right, Erika, its not a large multi-national chain...

Mexican legal system would apply here.

june262004 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:32 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I dont understand why this is so bad? I dread going away to have to look at people in bikinis! Are any of u obese?

shamma Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:33 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I agree with Alina 100% I guess they are target marketing and they have found their target.

Sassyz75 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:40 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I think that people who are a size 2-4 have no business pontificating on this topic.

I am a size 12 too and you know what? No matter what I eat- how small or how big, this is the size I stay at (with in a 5-10 pound differential)... it's VERY hard for people to lose weight AND a lot of it is pychological.

I say, if you can provide a place for obese people to maybe feel comfortable in their skin for 1 or 2 days- GOOD FOR YOU! These people can't perform the most minute tasks without being looked at with disgust! What if people are big, they are trying to lose weight, and maybe want to treat themselves with a vacation. Do you know how intimidating it is for them to go anywhere- let alone a beach vacation? Do you know how psychologically damaging it is to deny yourself any pleasure because you have 100 + pounds to lose?

I say it's about time- there's resorts for people who are into scuba diving, horseback riding, going naked, etc- how is this any different? Because it's a part of our society we want to keep locked up so no one can see?

dkga1026 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:45 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

Sassy - Just wanted to point out that a size 12 is not obese by any stretch of the imagination. And if you feel uncomfortable going to the beach as a size 12, I doubt it's because anyone else is staring at you funny. I think a size 12 is pretty much the national average.

alina Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:45 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I think that people who are a size 2-4 have no business pontificating on this topic.

Sazzy, that's not fair!!! Being a size 2-4 and only 5'1' is pretty much an equivalent of being a size 10 and 5'9'!!! And staying at a certain weight is an accomplishment in itself, b/c its exactly the point where many diets/exercise programs try to bring a person.

You can't just put a # in the air and say that someone can't have or express opinion about a resort b/c they don't fall into the property category for which the resort was designed for.

Should I go and start a resort for short people? 5'5' and under?

Lunatrek Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:48 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

Alina... great point!! I'm 5'4', can we have our own special resort where the countertops are lower and nothing is put too high upon a shelf?

See, it sounds silly when you think of it that way....

And Sassy, size 12 is not obese. Not by a longshot! (otherwise I'd be offended!)

What-Now Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:52 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

I want a resort for short people! So it's easier for me to reach the stand of the swim up bar! and also, with a shalower pool! i think we are made to feel very uncomfortable with these deep pools and tall bars! Alina, may be we should do something!

Sassyz75 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:52 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

You can make a short people resort if I'm invited because I'm short too..

and you are seriously petite.

What I'm saying is, really even I can't pontificate here because I don't truly 'know' how horrible it is.

I know that I am uncomfortable with myself and a lot of it is psychological- so I can only IMAGINE how obese people feel.

I just think that if they can find a little happiness and social acceptance for a week or two there, then it's a good thing.

I don't think it should be run like a 'fat camp', but a vacation facility that ANY of us would go to.. that way they can go and just be themselves... we are only on this Earth for a short time, and if an obese person can see the ocean and get happiness, then it's a good thing.

june262004 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:52 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

By the way Im 4'10 and over a size 14.. its very annoying for me to go anywhere and not be able to reach anything.... just wanted to add that.

june262004 Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:55 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

They can give u a skinny camp if u want.

yabbobay Posted: Oct 03, 2003 03:57 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

Mexican legal system would apply here.

so pretty much nothing would be done...

Misty Posted: Oct 03, 2003 04:01 PM

Re: Now if only the airlines would follow suit to make people more comfortable getting there!

The concept that because this is a resort that makes life easier on overweight people, it should also serve dietetic food only is just baffling to me. Do any of you realize how unbelievably unconstructive that statement is?

And the short argument can go the other way also....hey...buy lifts for your shoes or wear 5' high heels. It's about as hard for a lot of people to do that as it is to lose 100 pounds.