BLOG 150 THE REALITIES OF OBESITY

BLOG 150 THE REALITIES OF OBESITY

I’m a sucker for a good health and fitness reality documentary, as I’m sure you are well aware of reading my blogs. In my years of this industry, shows like, “My 600 Pound Life” and “The Biggest Loser” are rather depressing and surprisingly hard to view for me. But I’m intrigued by the emotional struggles and mental capacity of those who go on national television in their most vulnerable state. So I watched another. This time is was called, “Fat”. I guess the only difference with a movie vs a reality TV show was that the lead character was his total true self, cussing and behaving as he normally would.

Sean was obese. He was well aware he needed change, but the motivation to take action was more than lacking. Finally, he took a trip to the doctor just to see what could be done, of course with the mindset that there’s a quick, easy fix for all this. Sean didn’t get the answer he was looking for, rather the doctor prescribed him medication for high blood pressure. Sean inquired about weight loss surgery, but instead the doctor recommended seeing a nutritionist. Sean continued to feel defeated when he left.

His best friend was on his team, trying to be an advocate for his change. He even set him up with a lady friend. However, when initially shown a picture of the gal, he said, “What the hell, she’s fat” and “fat people aren’t into other fat people”. So what did he do?? He called up his ex who he had been really stuck on. She, however, upon meeting him said that he had let himself go, and why was he asking for closure when it was such an insignificant relationship. Crushed, he met up with best friend at their regular bar. On a bet, he asked out the bartender. They go out, he tells her that he slept with a homeless person once before. Ruined that. When he finally did go out with the original woman his best buddy set him up with, he actually liked her. She revealed she was getting the lap-band and later on in an argument he said to her, “Ohh that’s right take the easy way out like your surgery”. That ended the relationship.

He got a trainer who he ended up standing up. He attended O.A. (Overeaters Anonymous). He blew up at the man running the meeting. Sean was diagnosed with diabetes. His best friend admitted to him that he smelled bad. His nutritionist fired him.

The point of my Blog is to tell your how poorly we have represented obese people to be in the media and on T.V. We watch as they are degraded and made out to be lazy and weak. What about discussing the causes, the psychology of their current state, and what can be done for them for long term results?? No, obesity is a money- making industry from the diseases it causes, the billions of dollars spent on diets and surgeries, and the insane amount of money spent on food. Someday I will write a book that discusses this. For now, don’t judge obese people by their cover. 

Mark Phinney. (2015). "Fat".