A bullied overweight teenager sees a glimpse of hope when her tormentors are brutally abducted by a mesmerizing stranger.

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.

To prove a point about measuring up and fitting in, Texas teen Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson enters a local pageant run by her ex-beauty queen mom.

The four young Scandinavian women Helene, Marte, Pauline and Wilde are all fat, and they’re not ashamed of it. They are part of a growing fat-activism movement that supports fat women and fights for body positivity and inclusivity. The message is that you’re beautiful just as you are. The women connect and support one another at group activities and outings.

On a tortuous visit to the nutritionist, Julia (16) must decide whether she continues to live in the shadow of her mother's comments regarding her image, or begins to have a voice of her own.

Beyond the scheduled programme of a school trip, three teenagers find ways to pass the time. Between tenderness, boredom and rejection they all try to find their own place in the group.