Fat Death March

Last night I watched the last 20 minutes of Fat March. This is the latest reality show obsessed with weight. It broke my heart. A group of obese (most are morbidly obese) people are walking from Boston to D.C. to lose weight. The first stage was sixty-some miles.

I tried to walk 60 miles twice. I participated in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day walks twice. The training was brutal and the event was killer. I couldn't finish either attempt. I signed up for the walks to force myself to get in shape. It didn't work either time. I was heavier the second year and my feet were injured.

One of the guys on the show was 500 pounds. He was unable to walk the last 13 mile stage. Not only were his feet painfully blistered, the doctors thought there were stress fractures in his feet. He didn't want to quit, he felt this was his only chance to lose weight. He didn't want to quit even though he could barely stand. His teammates voted him off. I'm glad they did.

I hate this show. I have no idea what they are feeding these people or what kind of mental help if any they are getting, but having a 500 pound man walk 60 miles in 8 days is dumb. This seems even more irresponsible than The Biggest Loser to me. That show pisses me off when they teach the contestants that they can eat 10 sugar-free jello cups instead of one bowl of ice cream.

These people need more help than two trainers dragging them cross-country. I couldn't turn it off, but I hated it. Next season we'll see Xtreme Dieting where contestants pit their crazy diets against each other. Cabbage soup diet versus liquid fasting versus some crazy magazine versus Atkins. I think the thing I hate most about it is that a still-crazy part of me wants to get on the next season and kick lose some serious poundage.

I can weigh myself tomorrow or Thursday. I feel like I've barely recovered from last month's weigh in.

Comments

[Big Will]

Hello,
I'm a contestant on the show and let me tell you, you have it all wrong. My life is completly changed as well as the 11 other individuals I am proud to have marched with.

Here's a blog I wrote in responce to someone elses comments, might shed some light on it for you as well.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=13624478&blogID=293893448

Thanks for watching and I hope you'll watch again next week and give it a chance.

[Dodi]

Thanks Will. I hope I am wrong. I hope you all find lasting recovery from this experience. For me, this would not be the answer. I've tried it, not as publicly or with as much support, but I have attempted multiple drastic physical changes. None of them worked long term.

For me, as a compulsive overeater, Overeaters Anonymous is the only solution to my problem. For me, spiritual recovery in the driver of my physical and emotional recovery. Spiritual recovery relieves my mental obsession with food on a daily basis. I have steadily lost weight for almost two years now. That is miraculous to me.

I know OA isn't right for everyone. But I bet there are a few marchers it would really help.

[Big Will]

You (and the few people I've seen who dislike the show) have to understand, we are all intelligent and logical people. We know what we're getting ourselves into. To say "I hate this show. I have no idea what they are feeding these people or what kind of mental help if any they are getting, but having a 500 pound man walk 60 miles in 8 days is dumb." is insulting because you're assuming we're all idiots that wouldn't pull out if we didn't know any better. Keep watching. Perhaps you might change your mind.

[Dodi]

Hmmm, I didn't mean to insult the contestants. I was thinking oh the show producers and the trainers. It is irresponsible to encourage people to exercise excessively. I talked with a friend who is a personal trainer. She questions the ethics of the trainers on reality TV when so many injuries occur under their supervision.

The walking in Fat March is an endurance sport and fitness should be built gradually. I only saw the last 20 minutes and said so in my post. Based on what I saw, all the participants were there because they were ready to take drastic action to change their lives. I am criticizing the show concept and implementation, not the participants. Maybe I will watch some more, but at this point I don't think so.