It’s An Obsession… With Size

I think it started with “Biggest Loser,” but I might be wrong, somehow, thick folks have become popular on prime time television, according to the LA Times.

While the “Biggest Loser” is all about sweat and willpower, Fox Network’s “More To Love” which premieres next Tuesday, veers from the usual weight loss storyline and focuses on finding love. But wait! (Or shall I say weight?) There’s more! “Dance You *ss off also premiered this season and coming soon to TLC is “One Big Happy Family” which will chronicle the weight loss story of a family in which every member weighs over 300lbs. “Ruby” on the Style Network follows the weight loss story of Ruby Gettinger who is walking across America to lose weight. She started the show at 500lbs and now weighs in at 350lbs. That’s not all. Fine Living Network has “Bulging Brides” and BBC America airs “You Are What You Eat.”

Now let’s just jump right in shall we?

The average size of a woman that appears on television is a size 2. Really.

There’s not one woman in my family that remained a size 2 after they reached adulthood.

What does this type of programming say about our obsession with size? While I’d like to be critical and call them reality show chubby chasers, that’s not all true either. The shows that focus on weight loss don’t focus on quick fixes, they emphasize the way to lose weight is to eat in moderation and exercise. Good information and modeling.

Pause.

However, I question the intention behind this programming. Living in LA, I often have a skewed perception of things. Is the pressure to be thin, to lose weight, to look like the women on television the same across the nation?

Or are women okay being curvier?

Is obesity the last “ism?”

- Aunt B