Embarrassing Fat Bodies - Gem Monday 9.30pm

I am currently watching this program as research.  I am torn.  On the one hand, ANY emphasis on eating less junk food and exercising more is a good thing.  On the other hand, the people that they are "helping" on the program have somewhat "freaky" conditions.  A lot of them have lost huge amounts of weight due to gastric bypass surgery, and are dealing with the excess skin that results when you have lost 16, 18 or 20 stone.  So the program is focusing on the extreme team - those people who have a huge BMI (body mass index) and who deal with it by either surgery or extreme dieting.  Seeing a man who needs six stone of excess skin and tissue removed in order to be able to walk properly is something of a "freak show".  This doesn't mean that I am calling these physically handicapped and unhappy people "freaks" - but how representative are they of the general population - either here or in the UK?  Most people are overweight or obese.  Most people eat when they are not hungry - for a variety of reasons.  Most people tackle the problem at the "effect" level - they go on a diet.  Most people SHOULD address the causes of overweight/obesity - emotional eating, lifestyle, early onset dieting, cultural issues, work intensity and so on.  So maybe keep this in mind when watching any program like Embarrassing Fat Bodies, Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover and so on.  It is entertainment and it is also a way of saying that "well at least I'm not THAT bad".  But think of this - they are not bad, you are not good, and vice versa.  We all have different coping strategies in life - some of them are just more evident than others.  I suggest we all keep an open mind.