'Wait Watchers' Photography Project Reveals How The Public Treat Overweight Women

Photo Project Shows How Quick We Are To Judge Overweight Women
Haley Morris-Cafiero

Haley Morris-Cafiero is regularly stared at in the street due to her weight and she's taken pictures to prove it.

In 2013 the photographer released a series of photographs documenting how members of the public respond to her.

She was inspired to create the series, named Wait Watchers, after noticing a bystander mocking her weight in the background of a holiday snap.

Now, the 38-year-old has released new images which show people's reactions as she exercises, shops for new clothes and goes to the beach.

"When the Wait Watchers images went viral, many of the online articles had anonymous commenters posting that my life (and the world) would be better if I just got a makeover and exercised," Morris-Cafiero told HuffPost Women.

"In my new series, I am doing the same process as Wait Watchers where I set up a camera and record the reactions of strangers but now I am engaging in self-improvement acts such as exercising, looking at clothes, etc.

"My goal is to be more assertive with my role in the image and show that I am still looked at with critical glances when I try to 'improve' myself towards society's standards."

The response Morris-Cafiero received for the initial images wasn't all negative - she received hundreds of emails from overweight people who have been inspired by the images.

"Some say 'thank you' and others tell stories of my images helping them love their body, overcome bullying or not commit suicide," she wrote on her Kickstarter page.

Morris-Cafiero is hoping to publish these images, alongside some commentary, in a book titled 'The Watchers'.

Haley Morris-Cafiero

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