Woman, Suffering From Condition That Distorts Body Shape, Trolled For Salsa Dance

Dance videos are pretty popular on social media. From people dancing their hearts out at weddings and parties to people recreating viral dance steps, social media is filled with countless shares. Recently, a woman named Gracie Bon from Panama City went viral for her dance. Her salsa dancing video has garnered over 223 million views on Instagram. She was seen dancing with a friend in a club in Panama. Despite the simplicity of the video, Gracie’s smile radiates immense energy, attracting over 27 million shares and 108,000 comments, many of which unfortunately are derogatory.

Gracie’s noticeable weight difference, being slim above the waist and heavier below, stems from a rare condition called lipedema. This condition causes fat to accumulate around the thighs, making the lower body appear disproportionately larger. Despite misconceptions and cruel remarks about her weight, including unfounded claims of plastic surgery, Gracie remains upbeat. She has openly addressed and denied undergoing any surgery.

Rather than succumbing to depression over her condition, Gracie embraces life with zeal, actively sharing her life and joy on social media. She boasts a following of over 6.7 million on Instagram, where she follows just 887 people, including Jyoti Amge, the world’s smallest woman from India.

Some supportive comments highlight her beautiful smile and commend her for living fully a sentiment many aspire to emulate. One user noted, “She’s thin on top, it’s clear she has lipedema,” while another praised her, saying, “That beautiful smile goes unnoticed… what she’s doing, many of us wish to do but don’t. Good for you, Gracie!”.

This year, the 25-year-old model, known for her body positivity advocacy, candidly addressed the challenges faced by individuals like her when travelling by air.

In her video, Bon expressed her frustration with the discomfort and impracticality of fitting into standard aeroplane seats, despite having purchased two seats on flights. “Buying two seats on a plane does not fix my problem of being a bigger person on a plane,” she emphasised. Bon further highlighted the inherent inadequacy of current seating arrangements, asserting that “Aeroplane seats are too small for big people.”