fat tv

okay i know i've been spending a higher than average amount of time watching tv lately, but it seems like the obesity themed shows are all the rage right now. has anyone seen the TLC Inside the Brookhaven Obesity Clinic? its a place for very obese people in NY - like 400+.  they tell mainly stories of failure and how people live there for years and still don't lose the weight, or go home and gain it back. they even have a night camera that shows these people ordering in chinese food and pizza (it is not a lock down facility). there is also the nursing home called Andover i think that is in OH and caters mainly to the obese who can no longer care for themselves. there is also the "half ton man" the "incredible shrinking woman" "kathy's story" etc. i also saw an show on discovery health last night that was updating the story of a 16 year old you had WLS. basically he is now 18 and has lost his weight and was getting a lower body lift. don't get me started about my feelings on teens having WLS, let alone 11 hours of PS afterward...there is the new show Big Medicine and various plastic surgery shows which has formerly obese people getting surgery. dr phil had a 400+ lb woman on yesterday and i don't feel like he even goes near touching on the root of the issue, which bothers me because he has sucha large audience and could really use it for some good education instead of making fun of the woman by brining out a shopping cart that contains 200 lbs of sugar (supposedly the amt she eats in a year on her current diet). they seem to play all these shows over and over. yet the healthier geared shows  such as "I lost it" on discovery health is on at 6 am. there are a number of shows that have people lossing weight non-surgically and they don't seem to get nearly the same amount of repeat times. there is even one show that followed a young person who did the same Duke program i did. even stupid Simple Life has paris and nicole working for a week with obese campers. susan powter is running the camp for some reason and all they do is give the kids colonics and make them sit in sweat lodges... do we think these shows are exploitive? what is their purpose really? do they help or hurt the "normal sized" public understand obesity? where is the line? does anyone watch these shows besides me? am i too sensitive?

My feeling is this: I've worked in Diversity Training (and specifically Size Acceptance) for years, so it's something I have given a lot of thought. You have to remember that obesity is on the rise, and with that, comes an opportunity to use that--- for gains, for exploitation, for encouragement, for enlightenment. Fact is, they wouldn't show the programs if no one was watching-- but these shows are wildly popular. They can be very exploitative. Some use imagery specifically to exploit the disability of a patient for shock value-- an obese man eating a large drippy sandwich-- a woman too large to get in a van-- because people just aren't going to pay to see an obese woman Judge ruling on a federal circuit court, or an obese triathlete. Part of the attraction for many--- I dare say most--who watch is to impart the feeling of, "Oh, thank God that's not ME." They're modern day "morality" tales: "See what gluttony and sloth will get you?" WLS is quick, and results in large losses. Much easier to follow than slower loss-- and much more fantastical and thrilling for the viewer. We LOVE a makeover show! That being said, I don't think it's the media's job to do anything more than provide entertainment to the masses and make money. Would it be great if they provided conscientious and positive programming? Sure-- but sludge sells-- and we buy. That's the bigger issue--- we BUY. These aren't really documentaries-- as I said before, they're info-tainment at best. If you think what you are seeing pays people a disservice-- tell the networks. Refuse to use their advertisers and tell them why. Share your beliefs with people who will listen. Educate people you know. It's about all you can do.

of course, it is like a train wreck, you don't want to look but you do...I do like your word, hari, infotainment.  I am a sicko, love my reality tv:  survivor, real world, bad girls, etc. I am fascinated by people and behavior. As a child I wanted to be a psychiatrist! Now that I'm all grown up, i think anthropology is really where my interest lies.  Like you, Oprah and Dr Phil surprise me on their take with obesity. Dr. Phil has said he has very obese family members. Obviously, Oprah has lived it. With Phil, he is into selling his book, which I have thumbed thru, but was not particularly inspired.  Susan Powter actually has more credibility in my book than he does, at least she has compassion for fat folk. I think it does hurt the understanding for normal people. It's easier to blame the fat person and sit back and be self-righteous.