Fat TV

Lately, the TV landscape seems to be deluged with television shows centered on overweight characters. Okay, maybe not “deluged” since there are only three shows but in TV land that is a huge amount. Most TV show characters are thin, tiny, and unrealistic. As we all know, the average woman in the good ol’ US of A is a size 14 but most people on TV are a size 0-2. Yes, they are beautiful and we all wish we were that size because being thin is portrayed as being happy. Well, at least happier than anyone is who is fat. A portrayal that isn't exactly true to life. You can be thin and miserable or happy and fat or vice versa. Until recently, "fat" characters were the sidekicks in the majority of programs.

Enter the “fat” shows. I’ve seen all three of the shows and I like them for different reasons. And yes, I totally identify with them.

• HUGE on ABC Family. This shows centers around overweight teenagers sent to a “fat camp”. It’s compelling and very well acted. The actors are all extremely talented and as the title implies, large. The characters deal with all the normal teenage angst along with being overweight. I was an obese teenager and these characters speak to that fat teenager inside.

• DROP DEAD DIVA on Lifetime. A fabulously beautiful, thin, blonde and slightly ditzy aspiring model dies and comes back in the body of an overweight, brunette and brilliant lawyer. This could be a disaster of a show with all the usual situations but it has heart. The actress who plays the main character is brilliant!! You find yourself loving both sides to her character: the aspiring model and the overweight lawyer. I love how the model now has to see the world from a different point of view and how the model's outgoing personality isn’t overshadowed by her new physique.

• MIKE AND MOLLY on CBS. This show premiered last night and it is your classic 30 minute sitcom. An overweight teacher and an overweight cop meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and are smitten. In the first episode, you see their struggles with life from dealing with relationships to changing their eating and exercise habits. They are both very cute characters and I’ve seen the actors on other shows in supporting parts. It’s nice to see them given the chance to play the leads. I can identify with the fat jokes that Mike and Molly do during the show. That is a classic fat-coping technique that I’ve used myself on numerous occasions. We have to make fun of ourselves before anyone else can. It is so much easier when we make the fat jokes. I also empathized with the speech which brings up a fear I think a lot of single, overweight people share. That once we lose the weight we still won’t be lovable or attractive. That being overweight isn’t really the reason we are alone. I remember that so well.

If you haven’t seen any of these shows yet, I highly recommend them. It’s nice to see the subject of obesity tackled with sensitivity and gentle humor on TV. Quite the change.