Last night, when Willamina (star character of ABC Family’s new show “HUGE,” played by Nikki Blonsky of “Hairspray”) was told to strip down to her bathing suit for the annual group ‘before’ photo, I cringed. I cringed for her, and for me. It brought back an unpleasant, somewhat traumatic memory.
When I was in second grade, we were told by the school nurse to stand in a line in our underwear. One by one, we climbed onto the scales of injustice. The nurse weighed us, yelled the number to her assistant, and it was logged into the record books. “Janice, 112 lbs.” Subtext: Janice, at 8 years old, is ‘the fat one.’ There is something wrong with her. Let it be written. Let it be so.

I suppose that’s one of the pluses (pardon the pun) of HUGE, a show that follows the lives of seven teens and the staff at Camp Victory, a weight loss camp, as they delve deep below the adipose tissue to unearth their true, beautiful selves.
Everyone at Camp Victory is overweight – okay fat – and they are not freaks. It is their new normal, for the summer, anyway. And, if we, the audience, are uncomfortable with viewing rolls of fat, we ought get over it fast.
The main character, Willamina, or Will, is forced by her parents to go to Camp Victory to lose it. And she does ‘lose it’ and who wouldn’t? The campers gather around the proverbial campfire and are asked what it’s like to ‘miss their favorite foods.’ AND even though they are fed healthy foods, at the end of the day they are left hungry.
Anger, resentment and rebellion set in, and Will decides to leave, or escape, if you will. I am right there with her, major league pissed off. She’s got her reasons for leaving, and I’ve got mine.
As a weight loss coach and someone who after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting permanently removed over 50 pounds, I can tell you with certainty that focusing on foods that you miss will only increase cravings. We manifest what we focus on, for goodness sake. Don’t the writers of this show know that???
As for going to bed hungry, geeze Louise! If you are hungry, then you haven’t eaten enough. Camp Victory should have a bowl of fruit and fresh veggies readily available. Food isn’t the enemy.
At the end of the day (and show), predictably – because without Will there is no television series – she returns to Camp Victory. And predictably, I return with her.
Tune in next week to see how Will fares, as well as the beautiful Amber, played by Hayley Hasselhoff, who gives a new spin on thin. It’s all relative, baby! And tune in to see what weight loss faux pas the writers have written into the script that will undoubtedly have my head spinning!
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Spread the word … NOT the icing!
Janice
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