I Used To Be Fat!

Now moving in a completely opposite direction from Jersey Shore to I Used To Be Fat! Yes, the name is a little dramatic, but it is actually a pretty decent show that teaches teens the importance of living healthy, which is definitely not the purpose of Jersey Shore!

It premiered December 29th, 2010, and is slowly gaining popularity. It is series that follows overweight teens through their process of losing their unwanted weight by following an effective diet and exercises. Each episode follows one teen who is teamed up with a personal trainer, who helps them to follow their new lifestyle, motivates them, and provide them with emotional support throughout the journey. Throughout the episode, the teen documents their personal thoughts, and shares any struggles and successes they are facing. Most episodes focus on the teen's last summer before beginning college. It's great this this show is showing teens the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, but at the same time... shouldn't we just be teaching students that it's what on the inside that counts, and that physical appearance doesn't matter. Of course we want our kids to be living a healthy lifestyle, so eating healthy and exercising is crucial, which is demonstrated on this show. However, it seems that there is more of a focus on one's physical appearance and how it will help to attract the opposite sex or to be successful in life.

By reading various blog posts, we discovered that many teens and parents consider this show to be very inspiring. It makes sense that it considered to be inspirational, since teens can watch the show and see that it's never too late to make a change to their physical and emotional health. For teens that are not overweight, it reinforces the importance of living healthy, and I think create a sense of compassion since they see what those teens go through on the episode, and will probably be a lot more understanding towards them in the future. It is safe to say that this show targets both females and males, and focusing on the age group of 13 to 18, which are the years of middle school and high school. I think the show intends to target those teens that are struggling with weight issues, but targets a wide variety of body types. Of course no matter what the body type, the teens are learning about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, which is good. It's just important that teens understand that physical appearance is not everything... and I don't think that this lesson is sticking out in their minds.

So what is the message of this show? As already mentioned, this show is telling teens that living healthy is important. A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by eating nutritious and exercising on a daily basis. However, the message from this show is a little bit skewed because it teaches teens that physical appearance is everything, and that their lives will be miserable if they don't change their lifestyle soon. Yes, it's important to eat healthy and workout to remain healthy, but it seems that the show is a little unrealistic in this area. The teen is working out about 4 hours per day, and not allowed to eat any "treats". In my opinion this teaches teens that in order to be healthy and look good you need to completely dedicate yourself to it, and this lifestyle is not realistic, especially with how busy teens are today. Of course it is important to remember that teens don't necessarily control what they eat, they eat what their parents cook them, and they can't really go to they gym unless their parents are driving them there or buying them their gym membership... so maybe this show should be more directed at parents instead of teens!?

The healthy lifestyle that is promoted in this show is definitely attainable to an extent, but the show exaggerates the process somewhat. I think teens may struggle to understand the real reason for living a healthy lifestyle. The show clearly focuses on the importance of looking physically good, and makes a very little effort to discuss the emotional benefits.

I don't think the teens featured in the show either respect or defy authority. Their only concern is working to improve their body so that others look at them differently. They constantly make comments on the show about their appearance, and they feel that's the reason why they don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It's quite sad how our society has made teens feel that appearance is everything! So yes, at first glance, this show seems great... but when looking more into it - it's pretty clear that it's sending teens a skewed message and once again, it's not what on the inside that matters anymore!