"I Used to Be Fat": MTV’s Latest Reality Spawn
11/11/2010 Posted by Admin
Television News
By our guest blogger, Emma Gray
MTV wants you to relate to its programming. According to B&C, MTV recently announced plans to launch a reality series called "I Used to Be Fat," in an effort to step-up and present the real real-lives of members of the Millenial generation. And apparently nothing is more relatable than the ‘horror’ of going through life overweight.
The new show will follow several teenagers during their transitional summer from high school to college. These teens will be working to change their lives…through weight loss, of course. Each one-hour episode will follow a different adolescent through the trials and tribulations of nutritionist appointments, personal training sessions and doctors’ evaluations, culminating in a reveal of his or her ‘new self.’
Executive producer JD Roth asserts, "The kids who really dedicated themselves and really wanted this made changes that are staggering. We had multiple kids lose 100 pounds."
The production team behind the series is none other than weight-loss loving 3 Ball Productions. 3 Ball Productions is responsible for shows such as "What’s Eating You", "The Biggest Loser" and "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition." With the commercial success that has followed the company’s previous weight-themed shows, it is no surprise that they would spearhead another.
Physical transformation seems to be a recurring theme on television. Audiences are fascinated by changes that they can view with the naked eye. But what message do these shows really send? Is getting thin really the key to starting a new stage of life with a bang?
Eighteen is a hard age, whether you’re thin, fat or somewhere in between. It seems doubtful that "I Used to Be Fat" will capture any sort of authenticity other than our society’s obsession with the physical.
The premiere episode of "I Used to Be Fat" airs December 29, 2010 on MTV.
November 11, 2010 at 2:47 PM
i actually disagree. i think that this can certainly be motivational for kids who are concerned with their weight but who lack the confidence to attempt weight loss programs. in all honesty, the american population is 34% obese, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/health/14obese.html
it's pretty sad, and the transition from highschool to college, especially in regard to weight loss can completely transform people into happier, more confident, healthier people that will do more with their lives than without the show. as someone who has struggled with weight loss, these are my opnions on how i'd react in a similar situation (perhaps, who really knows).
while it encourages self criticism and 'overall unhappiness with self image' i still think there are a mass of benefits resulting from this program that are a little bit beyond the fat if you forgive my pun.