You’re Not Fat, You’re Huge
photo from abc family
I’m baaaack. Good or bad thing for you? I’ll let you decide.
So even though I was so under the radar, I read each and every one of your comments. And would you believe me if I told you they were the highlights of each day? Because they totally were.
I won’t do a wrap-up of my trip right now because it might read something like this: wah wah wah wa. Brain = mush.
(By the way, the brain is such mush that yesterday was the very first day of my blog that I didn’t post on a weekday. That’s the first time in 183 posts I let you down. I’d tell you to punish me but the 30-degree conference room I was stuck in for four hours was punishment enough, no?)
However, there will be a post in the vein of a My Summer Vacation report, but with a lot less “I went to Disney and rode all of these really neat rides that made me laugh so hard I shot orange soda out of my nose” and more “I saw Universal from my window. The tippy-top of Hogwarts is way cool.”
So yes, updates to come as my brain solidifies. Today, though, I wanted to discuss something:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or in a mountain cabin without cable, you’ve probably seen commercials for the new ABC Family TV show Huge. It stars Nikki Blonksy from Hairspray as a teen in fat camp who wants to accept her body as it is.
And pause.
I’m still wrapping up the mass amounts of work I acquired in Orlando , so instead of going on and on about my thoughts on the show, I’ll leave you with one tidbit. And then I want you to discuss.
And play.
The show is all about accepting your body at any size, breaking free from the stigma that comes with being overweight. It’s about hating the F word—as in FAT. So why’d they name the show Huge? It’s like a big label pulled over the entire show. As if ABC Family is saying, “No matter what happens and what we tell you during the hour it’s on, if you look like these people, you’re not just fat—you’re huge.”
So, I’m tossing the ball to you. What do you think about the show? Do you think the message—that whether you’re obese or just pudgy you should accept your body—is spot-on? Do you think there’s a point where obese kids shouldn’t accept, but try to lose weight? Do you think it will have a positive affect on teens?
22 comments
*Sigh*
I honestly don’t know what to think about this show…
I’m all about body acceptance, but there’s a difference between accepting your body as is and being clinically obese (which is harmful to our health). Maybe its a matter of acceptance our body as is… and just focus on being healthy… instead of trying to lose weight…???
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Hmmm….I’m one of those people that lives under a rock as I’ve never heard of this show but of course I have an opinion.
Obesity is not healthy but a positive body image certainly is. Education and healthcare are the tools to get both in check.
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Oh Tracey…where to begin. I think that is more people were accepting of their own bodies and body types there would be a lot less eating realted problems in this world on both ends of the spectrum. I think there would be less obese people and less people with eating disorders (anorexia, bulimea, etc.) I DO think some people are gentically predisposed to be bigger than other people but I am not a fan of all out glutoney and acceptance. Meaning that at some point fat kids/adults are harming themselves and it is no longer okay to just accept it. Sometimes I feel we try to be so politically correct and not offend anyone that we miss out on the bigger picture…would you rather offend someone or have them die because they are too heavy? It is a REAL crisis and one that if affecting America badly. Not only physically but economically and fincancially. I don’t really know what the answer is (or if I am really even answering your question) but I feel like TV shows and the media both hurt and help the obesity crisis we are facing. I will probably watch the first episode of this show to be able to form an opinion but I amm not sure that calling someone HUGE is actually going to inspire acceptance. Wow…I was all over the place with this comment wasn’t I?
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I’ve seen advertisements, and I think it’s a good message. There’s more pressure than ever on teens to look good in all ways. Although, I think when your weight gets to a certain point, it’s really important to start losing some for your own health. AKA, parents should help teens accept their bodies, but also help them lose weight while doing so…yeah, kinda of a tradeoff show I guess.
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Ever since “16 and pregnant” turned out to be a huge hit, I turn away from any of this type of noise. I can’t believe the levels some shows go to.
On a happier note, welcome back! Yea:)
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I don’t think it is as much about learning to accept our bodies but maybe instead to realize that we comprise more than just the physical shell that holds us and that those other things matter just as much if not more. The hard part is that our society and the world that we live in puts so much emphasis on how we look and we get lots of messages that equate a not perfect body with failure or being less. It can become quite easy to believe that the outward part is all that matters.
I don’t like the show being called Huge and while acceptance is good, we are obese as a nation and people need to focus on being healthy.
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Man, this is a big deal. I don´t live in America and am a bit out of touch with all of this but it seems like it can go either way. I think that acceptance of different weights comes by it NOT needing to be pointed out when someone is big or skinny or HUGE… rather, just letting it be one of MANY things that define a person (and one of the LEAST important because its what is inside that matters.)
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First off, welcome back!
Secondly, I have been living under a rock because I haven’t heard about this show. Honestly, and people will hate me for saying this, I think that this show isn’t really helping anyone…the name of it is obnoxious, the subject matter is delicate to say the least, and I don’t think that the star looks remotely healthy, nor is she a role model for teens (or anyone for that matter).
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I actually really want to watch that show. I guess the show was named a little for shock factor and to avoid that huge F word – yeah, “fat”. I think there’s a difference between accepting a healthy but “plump” body and accepting an obese body, where the weight is a health problem. I guess we should emphasise health, not thinness.
I do still want to watch this show, though.
Wei-Wei
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I want to see the show but haven’t yet. I think that there are just as many unhealthy thin people as there are unhealthy fat people. The focus should be on actual (not apparent) health and the healthy behaviors that create real health. I also think that many fat people (though not all) would probably lose some (but not as much they would like) weight with a behavior and health focused approach. Blood pressure, blood sugar, heart and lung fitness, strength, organ function–these are some real measures of health. But the minute the focus is on body size instead of health everyone is set up for failure. As someone who is only 5 or 10 pounds overweight, I can say from experience how devastating to one’s self esteem and mental health living in this fat-hating culture is. I can only imagine how difficult it is to adopt healthy practices while suffering from the depression that often goes along with obesity and the associated discrimination. As for the show, I think it would be so beneficial for everyone (but especially young women) to see a real range of body sizes and shapes represented, but only if they are not stereotyped. And from what I heard about the fat-acceptance character dealing Twinkies, I don’t think this show is going to accomplish that.
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I dont know…these types of issues tend to bug me at times…like extremes are not good…and that is the problem….i wish everyone could just eat and enjoy and not obsess, etc…but of course actual obesity isn’t right….just like keeping your weight under and too small is not right…or just like beating yourself up for being a measly 10 lbs over or something…
anyway, jealous of your trip..bigtime.
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Tracey Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Believe me, you have nothing to be jealous about for this trip. All work, no play. Lots of icy convention center rooms. I’ll go into more detail tomorrow, but we’ll leave it at: I’m jealous of everyone who didn’t go.
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Oh my gosh, I was just thinking about that show the other day. Because ABC Family really isn’t so Family anymore and then that show came on and it seems every show they have is sending the wrong message to kids. I don’t think that it’s okay to accept your body when you are at high risk for disease. I think everyone should accept and be happy with themselves, but there’s a difference between accepting your personality and who you are and accepting the way you look. As I thought this, I felt awful but in all honesty it’s not healthy to be of that weight and to accept it is like accepting it’s okay to smoke ridiculous amounts. There is danger to both and that’s nothing to accept, it’s something to change to be healthier and live a longer and happier life. Just my thoughts!
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Tracey Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I agree! What’s with ABC Family showing non-family shows? I’m thinking of the pregnant teenager one. Hmm…family?
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A show called HUGE?! Are you serious?! Apparently, I am living under a rock!
I think more so than accepting “size” is accepting “health”. I can accept acceptance of over weight and obesity but accepting heart disease and diabetes, nah. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I just wish the emphasis would be OFF of weight and on to HEALTH. While the 2 somewhat go hand-in-hand, there’s too much emphasis on the outside and NOT on the inside. You know..the part that keeps the outside kickin’
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Wait, wasn’t Nikki Blonsky the one who was the host of dance your a$$ off? I could be wrong.
I was thinking about this show the other day and it wasn’t sitting quite right with me. Accepting your body is one thing. Not wanting to get healthy because it’s “hard” and you’d rather “eat twinkies” and “deep fried hamburgers” is another. I think this is only going to worsen the media and public opinions of overweight people instead of exploring the emotional issues at the root of self medicating with food. :/
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I’m really glad that you started a discussion about this. When I first saw a commercial for Huge, I was outraged. First, I think the title is just disgusting. I can’t imagine how this would help boost anyone’s confidence that is struggling with their weight. Additionally, I just don’t understand the concepts of “fat camp.” I have not seen an success that has come from them, either physically or emotionally. I think it will be interesting to see if this show actually addresses health at all. My fear is that this show will lessen the implications of being overweight as a teenager. Sure, bullying and emotional issues are tough… but will they talk about the possibility of having diabetes at 18?
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First of all, I HATE the title. It is awful. The word huge has negative connotations and before anyone even watches the show, they just see the word HUGE and a picture of an overweight girl in a bathing suit…to me, it looks like they are making a mockery of her in that ad (although that was probably not the intention) and it is just offensive.
As for the show, I haven’t watched it yet…but my opinion on fat acceptance is that it shouldn’t even be an issue. When people either accept or condemn fat people, they are focusing solely on the way the person looks. Yes, obesity is associated with health risks…so is being underweight- but being obese is much more stigmatized…either way, I don’t think it is good to focus on the way people look. When you focus on that, you bring all sorts of emotions and deep rooted issues and societal pressures into play and it often has the opposite effect than the intention of encouraging health. (Ie: women try to lose weight so they go on a diet, they end up “falling off the wagon” and binge eating and giving up completely). If we were to focus on overall health for everyone instead of pinpointing the way someone looks, and stop stigmatizing people who are overweight and try to promote healthy eating and exercise habits, I believe it would be much more helpful. It is the difference between saying “You are fat and you need to lose weight” and saying “Why don’t you try adding some veggies here, some fruit there, and start taking some walks to improve your general health”. The second one doesn’t come off as a personal attack, and it addresses the real issue. And it is more all-encompassing, since you can be overweight but still eating a much healthier diet than a person who is at a normal weight. You can’t judge how healthy a person is solely by how much they weigh.
I’m sorry…I don’t know if any of that is comprehensible…but I feel strongly about this so it is hard to shut myself up.
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Tracey Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I totally agree with this: “to me, it looks like they are making a mockery of her in that ad (although that was probably not the intention) and it is just offensive.” Maybe there’s another reason for the name we won’t know until we see the show.
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I was under a rock too, because I hadn’t heard about the show… But I think it’s awful. I believe that women should be happy with their bodies. HOWEVER, I believe that we should always strive to be healthy… And obesity isn’t healthy. Telling people that it’s okay to be ‘huge’ is telling them that they shouldn’t care about their health or quality of life. Should people feel any less important or beautiful, just because they are fat? No! But should they try to lose weight for health reasons? YES! And I think that — in the end — they’ll end up feeling even more beautiful, healthy, and strong. Seriously, ABC, what are you thinking??
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Wow. Have any of you seen the show yet? It’s wonderful and heartfelt. It shows all sides to the issue – which is COMPLEX. Girls who are struggling with body image, boys who are struggling with body image. Trying to love yourself and improve yourself. I think they are getting it right with this show and I’m sorry that many of you jumped to conclusions before taking a look.
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Tracey Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Thanks so much for commenting, Erin. It’s good to hear there’s a solid message behind the show–even if I do take issue with the title.
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