I wouldn’t have thought there could be a weight loss reality TV show more offensive and exploitative than Biggest Loser but “My Big Fat Revenge” on the Oxygen network is beyond comprehension. Overweight women tearfully recount stories of humiliation then plot revenge against their tormentors. The two women in the episode I watched seem to have …
Certain ideas have a way of working themselves into paradigmatic status, mostly because ambiguous “evidence” appears to tell us what we want to believe. Joining the old saw “Diets don’t work” is now the belief that “exercise won’t make you thin.” But let’s look at what’s really driven these assumptions. First of all, diets DO …
I used to consider my body a burden. Its size and limitations created a range of discomforts, inconveniences, and conditions I found downright depressing. Losing half my body weight created an almost surreal awareness of my own body and its size. It’s been so many years now that I can no longer remember what living …
Go ahead, call me a cynical bitch. Former reality show “star” Ruby Gettinger’s latest promotional venture has ended with her achieving her announced goal: losing 50lbs by consuming products from multi-level marketing company, Visalus. And yes, I’m skeptical. I’ll save you the signup and give you the link to watch the videos from “Ruby’s Challenge.” …
A year-end talk on fads, crash diets, and exercise gimmicks. Spoiler alert: None of it works.
A recent book buyer admitted when she first saw my book she initially thought, “Oh great, another skinny person telling me why I’m fat.” Then she read about me and made a purchase! (and thank you so much!) Part of why I wanted to write Powerful Hunger was because I am also sick of the …
The news promo announced “A new diet lets you eat whatever you want including ice cream and pizza and still lose weight! Find out how at 10!” You bet I had to tune in! This latest weight loss gimmick is a set of measuring cups and spoons and a poster. For $80. The creators of …
It’s all the buzz in the entertainment news when a celebrity appears with a dramatic weight loss. Three particular stories of high-profile celebrity weight loss offer valuable lessons to consider. I’ve always liked the actor John Goodman, from memorable movie appearances in several Coen Brothers films to Dan Connor on Roseanne. He’s always been “the …
A current reality show trainer is making himself known for what he calls “amazing transformations.” In a recent appearance on a morning show, he credited a man’s huge weight loss to “lacing cheat meals throughout the week.” Not developing health-supporting eating habits, not daily exercise. Cheat meals were pitched as the real key to that …