"Huge" and a Look into Teenage Body Image


ABC's comedy "Huge" made its TV debut recently. "Huge" centers on a summer weight loss camp for teens. Intrigued about the show's premise, I managed to catch the first episode. Here are my thoughts:
The Premise

* The show stars Nikki Blonsky as "Willamina" (Will) - a strong-headed and slightly acerbic girl who is at "Camp Victory" at her parents' insistence.
* The secondary characters include: A stern and yet compassionate camp director, the "shy" girl (who Will befriends), the "prettiest and skinniest" girl, the "queen bee", the "awkward guy-whose-also-kind-and-sensitive", and the "jock". Essentially it's your typical teen drama characters - only heavier.
* "Huge" hones in on issues that one might expect from a show that centers on obese teenagers: loneliness, fear, embarrassment, food issues and disordered eating.

Overall Impression of the show

* The show does a very good job of capturing emotion and sensitivities of teenagers who just don't fit in (literally and figuratively). Nikki Blonsky is a treasure to watch as our heroine Will, who claims in the group sessions

I'm down with my fat... my fat and I are like BFF's".

She likes who she is and plans on actually GAINING weight at the camp.
* The camp is a place where the teens feel that actually fit in. To quote a character

People hook up... you see everyone's overweight so the playing field is more like...there is one".

* I'm pretty sure I'll watch the second episode.

Art Imitating Life

Nikki Blonsky is as unabashedly "big and proud" just as her TV counterpart, Will. She says:

I'm just comfortable and confident in my body. I could care less that the world is seeing me in a bathing suit right now."


Indeed she is probably a very positive role model for young girls who are overweight.

The other side of the debate are the potential health issues. Let me say first that I think her attitude and confidence is fantastic. Also, I can't comment on Blonsky's health because I have no idea of her lifestyle habits. I will say, however that underneath the wonderful attitude, we cannot and should not ignore the very real health risks associated with carrying too much weight.

I think that if you are going to be a heavier role model, you should strive to be a heavier role model who role models healthy living, too. My humble opinion states that you can preach both self-acceptance AND healthy living.

I think teens can get the wrong messages about being overweight and take a "Look at Nikki Blonsky - she doesn't care about her weight, neither will I" approach and continue unhealthy habits that have lead to the excess weight in the first place.

That said, it would be refreshing if more girls took on Blonsky's attitude than most of the rail-thin young Hollywood actresses.

What do you think?

Have you seen "Huge"? What did you think?
Is Nikki Blonsky a good role model for teens?