Weight Watchers: Americans Weigh In On Their Weight

Supersize Me, a documentary by Morgan Spurlock, will make you think twice before diving into a Big Mac.

BY KAYLA LOKEINSKY

Up until recently, you couldn’t even turn on your TV without seeing an advertisement for a giant burger smothered in grease and dripping with calories. Exercise was a thing of the past and obesity rates were higher then ever before. With America in the midst of a national epidemic, people have decided to take matters into their own hands. Through the media, everyone from overweight celebrities to first lady Michelle Obama is doing their part to help Americans transition into a healthy lifestyle.

Facts about obesity in America suggest that approximately 25% of the children in the United States are obese or overweight. In addition, two thirds of Americans are now either overweight (defined as a body-mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher) or obese (a BMI of over 30).  The percentage of obese children ages 10 to 17 in the United States has risen from 12% in 2003 to over 18% in 2010. With so many children and adults gaining weight, the media has adopted a mass campaign to endorse healthy eating and staying fit.

Video game consoles such as the Wii Fit help people get in shape from the comfort of their own homes.

The media is using its power to persuade Americans to trade their fast food for fresh fruit and to get their butts off the couch and exercise. With video games such as the Wii Fit and Kinect Sports, Americans are now engaging in healthy exercise from the comfort of their own homes. Through these virtual reality games people can do anything from play beach volleyball to cardio dancing, burning a significant amount of calories all without setting foot outside of the house.

In addition to these virtual games, TV reality shows such as The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, and I Used to be Fat, as well as documentaries like Supersize Me and Food Inc. are geared towards opening people’s eyes to how serious the epidemic of obesity is becoming. While reality TV used to be all about finding love or wild partying, reality shows are now focusing on giving Americans a reality check about just how drastic the obesity outbreak is.

Season 5 Biggest Loser winner Ali Vincent dropped an astonishing 112 pounds while on the reality show. The Biggest Loser continues to inspire people to get off the couch and get healthy.

One show that is accomplishing this wakeup call is The Biggest Loser, the only reality show where the winner, loses. Drastically obese contestants shed the pounds in order to not only win $250,000, but also to gain a new healthy lifestyle. Under the watchful eyes of professional trainers, the “losers” stick to a strict diet and exercise regimen that helps the extra pounds melt away. In its premiere season, the winner, Ryan Benson, lost 122 pounds over a 10-week period. His story, along with those of all the past contestants, has inspired overweight Americans all over the country to follow in their footsteps.

Documentary film makers have also been doing their fair share of exposés on what people are really putting in their bodies when they roll up to their favorite drive through window. Supersize Me, a documentary by Morgan Spurlock, took an in-depth look at what fast food does to your body over a prolonged period of time. He consumed around 5,000 calories a day while deliberately avoiding physical activity in order to show what happens to those who live in a lifestyle of consuming fast food every day. In the end, after 30 days on the McDonalds diet, he gained 24.5 pounds and elevated his cholesterol level and his blood pressure.  This documentary will make anyone think twice before they take a bite of that Big Mac.

But the entertainment world’s best new inspirational television series has got to be Heavy. This show is unlike any other weight loss show out there because it follows the real lives of actual obese people who struggle to lose weight. It’s different because there is no competition or prize money; just a sheer life-changing experience. If this show doesn’t inspire overweight Americans to lose weight, then our civilization is a lost cause.

First lady Michelle Obama has made it her mission to promote healthy eating and daily exercise for kids in hopes of creating a healthier generation.

However, while all of these shows and documentaries may raise awareness of public health, they don’t reach the younger demographic. In the United States, 25% of children areoverweight. In order to point them in the right direction when it comes to losing weight, public service announcements have appeared on popular children’s television networks starring well-known celebrities. First lady Michelle Obama has teamed up with Disney Channel stars in a massive campaign called “Let’s Move” to promote eating healthy and daily exercise for kids in hopes of creating a healthier generation.

From documentaries to children’s T.V. shows, the media is promoting a new message to the country as a whole. They are trying to show Americans the effects poor dieting and lack of exercise can have on the body, all while educating them. While it may be difficult at times, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is always the best way to go.