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Embodied

Everyday Spaces Weren’t Built For Fat Bodies. So What’s The Fix?

By Kaia Findlay,
Anita Rao, Amanda Magnus, Wilson Sayre
Published July 24, 2026 at 1:01 PM EDT
The logo for Embodied, which features a person with brown skin wearing yellow pants, a white shirt and white glasses pulling back a starry curtain of the silhouette of a person that is roughly twice as large as the person in yellow pants. The word "Embodied" is at the top with the WUNC logo directly underneath it and the PRX logo in the bottom righthand corner of the illustration. All of the text is in white, and the background of the illustration is light blue.

Tens of millions of Americans live in larger bodies, and navigating everyday spaces can be uncomfortable and stressful. An activist and a designer share the solutions they’re working on to make these spaces more inclusive.

Imagine sitting down in a theater only to be distracted from the performance by armrests digging into your sides. Or arriving at the doctor’s office to find the patient gown won’t fit. These experiences are commonplace for folks living in larger bodies.

Host Anita Rao talks to two people who argue this is a design problem, not a personal one. Artist and activist Suzy Hooker is building a free, searchable directory that rates the accessibility of everyday spaces, called Fat Fab Free. And designer Margarita Zulueta is reimagining how places like airplanes could be built with fat bodies in mind.

Read the transcript

Embodied
Kaia Findlay
Kaia Findlay is the lead producer of Embodied, WUNC's weekly podcast and radio show about identity, relationships and health. Kaia first joined the WUNC team in 2020 as a producer for The State of Things.
See stories by Kaia Findlay
Anita Rao
Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist and the host and creator of "Embodied," a nationally distributed weekly radio show and podcast about relationships, identity and health.
See stories by Anita Rao
Amanda Magnus
Amanda Magnus is the executive producer of Embodied, a weekly radio show and podcast about identity, relationships and health.
See stories by Amanda Magnus
Wilson Sayre
Wilson Sayre is WUNC's Director of Digital Content leading our podcasting strategy and initiatives. She has worn many hats in the audio world as an editor, producer, consultant and team lead. Wilson was Managing Producer at Pushkin (previously Transmitter Media) where she helped launch shows like Am I Normal, the TED Interview and The Heist. Before that, she served as Executive Producer at Capitol Broadcasting Company and lead reporter for The City podcast from USA Today. Prior to that, she covered social safety net programs at WLRN, Miami's NPR member station. There, she founded the station's youth radio program. Wilson's work has been recognized by the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize and national Edward R. Murrow Awards. Wilson grew up in North Carolina and enjoys playing banjo and eating chocolate, usually not at the same time.
See stories by Wilson Sayre