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Why is British TV so obsessed with diet shows?

mizhogmizhog Posts: 970
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in General Discussion #1
Every night theres a show about fat and skinny people. Are British really so obsessed with the topic. Surely everyone knows by now what to eat and what not to. Why do they keep going over and over it.

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  • mildredhubblemildredhubble Posts: 6,447
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    #2
    We're obsesse with weight and body image. It's sad really :(
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    #3
    So how many British-made TV shows on dieting are being broadcast at the moment? Channel 4 has something called Embarrassing Fat Bodies and also Supersize vs Superskinny (neither of which I've watched), but are the TV channels clogged with other dieting shows? Enough to prove that British TV is "obsessed with diet shows"? I'd have thought not.
  • WizsisterWizsister Posts: 481
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    #4
    Is it because British people are a bit lazy and would rather watch other people lose weight than do it themselves? :S
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 16,645
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    #5
    mizhog wrote: »
    Every night theres a show about fat and skinny people. Are British really so obsessed with the topic. Surely everyone knows by now what to eat and what not to. Why do they keep going over and over it.
    Obviously not.
  • mizhogmizhog Posts: 970
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    #6
    Wizsister wrote: »
    Is it because British people are a bit lazy and would rather watch other people lose weight than do it themselves? :S

    Yes I think it is actually
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    #7
    mizhog wrote: »
    Yes I think it is actually
    So what TV shows are you referring to?

    It might be easier to establish a case that Britain is obsessed with food, judging by the number of cooking programmes that are aired.
  • WizsisterWizsister Posts: 481
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    #8
    I also think people like to watch 'extreme' shows as a way of feeling better about themselves. I like supersize superskinny because it makes me think, 'yes I'm annoyed that I have to write an essay in 3 days, but at least I'm not horribly obese and at risk of diabetes/heart disease/death' as an example
  • guffybearguffybear Posts: 1,752
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    #9
    because most of them could do with losing weight
  • The TerminatorThe Terminator Posts: 5,312
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    #10
    Victoria Sponge wrote: »
    Obviously not.
    Of course they do.
  • DaisyBillDaisyBill Posts: 4,339
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    #11
    Wizsister wrote: »
    Is it because British people are a bit lazy and would rather watch other people lose weight than do it themselves? :S

    Not for me it isn' t. I've already lost weight but still find these programmes interesting.
    In any case, there are programmes about lots of other subjects on the TV- cooking,home improvements, travel, fishing, wildlife, etc, so I would hardly say that British TV is ' obsessed' with programmes about weightloss.
  • elliecatelliecat Posts: 9,890
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    #12
    Sigurd wrote: »
    So how many British-made TV shows on dieting are being broadcast at the moment? Channel 4 has something called Embarrassing Fat Bodies and also Supersize vs Superskinny (neither of which I've watched), but are the TV channels clogged with other dieting shows? Enough to prove that British TV is "obsessed with diet shows"? I'd have thought not.


    There is Fat Families on SkyLiving at the moment, there was Secret eaters on 4 last year
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,168
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    #13
    I think it's more to do voyeurism. You get to see what their body is like, what food they eat daily, see them shamed by the doctor, gawp at the even fatter freak show Americans (always Americans naturally), all very creepy if you ask me.
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    #14
    elliecat wrote: »
    There is Fat Families on SkyLiving at the moment, there was Secret eaters on 4 last year
    Thanks. I've never watched Sky Living. So it seems there are three British programme series on dieting being broadcast at the moment, namely Embarrassing Bodies (once a week, I think, excluding +1 transmissions), Supersize vs Superskinny (again once a week?), and the Fat Families one that seems to be aired more frequently. I still don't think that's enough to indicate that British TV is "obsessed with diet shows", and I feel the OP is exaggerating.
  • cat's whiskascat's whiskas Posts: 877
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    #15
    There's Weight Loss Ward as well. I'd noticed how many programmes there are on, so the OP is not the only one.
  • malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,637
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    #16
    I think some of it has to do with feeling "superior". The same with shows like Wife Swap - you can sit there thinking "thank god I'm not like that lardarse" or "I might have problems but at least I'm not married to chat chav" etc.

    We like to sit and reassure ourselves that we aren't like some of the freaks paraded infront of us in the name of entertainment.
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