The only phase of life where being chubby is socially accepted as a positive thing is infancy. Once you stop being young enough to carry, being thin is societally enforced with an iron fist, with anyone who doesn’t fit into that mold being endlessly criticized for their size. It makes sense that we make an exception for fat babies in such a fatphobic society. After all, nobody wants a skinny baby. Well, almost nobody.  

Mayci Neeley is a TikToker who makes family content, sharing cute videos of her son and baby daughter. She recently came under fire for comments she made about her daughter’s appearance. In a viral TikTok, she revealed she thought she would have a «petite little girl» after having her son. The video cuts to her adorably chubby daughter, with the caption «my ‘little’ baby girl.» Many commenters found these comments inappropriate, accusing Neeley of cruelly fat-shaming a healthy baby.