Rebecca Wright09.01.10
There is a blogger out there who prides herself on being fat. And she uses this description to explain what she writes about: “Fatshionista is a full-fat and diet-free blog dealing with body politics and cultural criticism.” Lately, she’s been raving about a show called “HUGE,” a new series on ABC Family that follows the trials and tribulations of kids in fat camp. To quote a guy I work with: “It’s like ‘Dawson’s Creek’ with fat kids,” and it’s one of his favorite shows.
In the episode I watched, a group of teens stole a bottle of vodka, went into the woods, played some drinking games and kissed each other. It was like watching any other coming-of-age TV show when I was growing up (e.g., “Charles in Charge,” “Who’s the Boss,” “Mr. Belvidere,” “Facts of Life,” etc.), except now the characters are morbidly obese.
This is a first, I think, for the TV world. Besides the scores of reality programs and documentaries (e.g., “The Biggest Loser,” “More to Love”) that chronicle the lives of fat people and their battles against “the bulge,” there’s never been a show quite like this one—one that caters specifically to a market of young viewers in a way, dare I say, that makes them feel like it’s okay to be grossly overweight. Is this the new normal?
A recent article I read in the Boston Globe says there is “a burgeoning trend of size-acceptance emerging,” which is being fueled by plus-size models and more-than-portly celebrities who appear to be comfortable in their skin. Even the girl who writes the Fatshionista blog says she’s happy to be fat—she’s 300 pounds. And she’s apparently not alone. Did you know there are 30 fat-activist bloggers out there? They are empowered by the extra pounds and see overweight/obesity as a discrimination issue, not a health issue.
The problem with overweight/obesity, as opposed to something like arthritis, is that there’s such a large psychological component that makes trimming the pounds challenging—especially when you add a new segment of consumers that could care less if they lose the weight or not.
The weight loss market in the U.S. generates $26 billion in sales annually, yet has let down millions of consumers and costs this country roughly $150 billion a year. Currently, two in three adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. And nearly one in six children and youths (ages 2-19) in the U.S. are already overweight or obese.
And if that isn’t scary enough, consider this: “Since overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults, some experts believe that if obesity among kids continues to increase at this rate, our current generation could become the first in American history to live shorter lives than their parents,” said Joe O’Neill of Beneo in this issue’s weight management article (page 38).
In the end, the biggest losers will be the children and complacency will be to blame. Being morbidly obese should not be the new normal.
