To Be Fat Like Me

Posted by Tracy Rose Jan 9, 2007

Lifetime aired a movie, “To Be Fat Like Me,” about a pretty, slim jock that got injured and turned her attention to making a documentary about obesity. Though she had no idea what kind of statement she wanted to make with the film, she dressed up in a fat suit and went to summer school to see how she would be treated. She explored her own issues with weight, her feelings about her obese mother and overweight brother and how her friends react to fat people.

While in the fat suit, she was ignored, treated like dirt and made to feel like less of a person. At the same time, she made friends she otherwise would not have made contact with. They had fun and shared intimate thoughts. In the end when her cover was revealed, it turned out she had true feelings for her new friends and it was important for her to patch things up with them and make a real statement with documentary so she could make a difference.

Along the way, she also taught her overweight friend how to act differently and demand respect. She showed her that it was okay to stand up for herself and to be more assertive.

“To Be Fat Like Me” made a statement about obesity and how fat girls are treated in our society. I think the aim was to make people evaluate their own feelings about overweight people and question how they think and open their minds to see the person who is behind the fat suit.