“I know you’re probably busy having mind-blowing sex, but I feel you need to know that your good friend, Miranda Hobbes, has just taken a piece of cake out of the garbage and eaten it. You’ll probably need this information when you check me into the ‘Betty Crocker Clinic.’” My fellow millennial women will undoubtedly… Continue Reading →
Why there are no winners in The Biggest Loser
It was all over the media the last few days; criticism flew all over the internet, on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms. People questioned: Why and how and is there a chance help can be found for this person so many individuals were concerned about? I am referring to the controversy surrounding the… Continue Reading →
The Biggest Loser lures kids
No, they’re not contestants. They won’t participate in weigh-ins and aren’t eligible to win the cash prize for dropping the most weight. Relax, America! The kids to appear on this season’s The Biggest Loser are just being “mentored.” The 14th season that premiered on January 6th featured two 13-year-olds and one 16-year-old. During a Press… Continue Reading →
New Australian weight-loss show “Excess Baggage” tries to outdo “Biggest Loser”
Excess Baggage, the new Australian counterpart to weight-loss reality show The Biggest Loser, claims to take the higher road by not relying on humiliation and shaming of contestants. It focuses on overall health vs. mere weight loss, utilizing a psychologist to address mental roadblocks which obstruct a healthy lifestyle, and rallying people off treadmills and… Continue Reading →
The Biggest Loser tempts disordered eating
We’ve written about the weight-loss reality television show The Biggest Loser before here on the About-Face blog, whether it’s the scariness of trainer Jillian Michaels or the reports of previous contestants developing eating disorders after the show. Recently, About-Face received an email from a concerned The Biggest Loser watcher in Australia. She was disturbed by… Continue Reading →
The list of “Fat TV” shows keeps on growing
Reality TV is so passé. Ladies and gentlemen, make room for Fat TV. Granted, this post has been a long time coming, but as usual, the geniuses over at Jezebel finally prompted me to write it. Yesterday, they blogged about the new A&E show, Heavy, which, unlike other shows, doesn’t involve competitions, makeovers, or the… Continue Reading →
Gallery of Offenders: Jillian Michaels is hazardous to your health.
Questions to Consider: * How are overweight people portrayed in this video? * How does Jillian’s training style make you feel about exercise? * What message does this video send about sensible weight loss? * How does the video make you feel about your own exercise habits? * What might the show be selling to… Continue Reading →
Kai Hibbard says “The Biggest Loser” gave her “a really fun eating disorder”
They laugh, they cry, they shed half their body weight! Okay, admittedly I have never seen a full episode of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” but apparently, I’m in the minority. Since 2004, viewers in more than 90 countries have watched overweight contestants swap unhealthy habits for wholesome lifestyles, often emerging as toned and taut finalists… Continue Reading →