To start, I've never watched TV talent shows after... the Gong Show back when it was airing in reruns in the 80s. Reality shows irk the hell out of me; I don't like seeing people get berated, no matter how much they seem to deserve it. But I hear congratulations are in order.
But it bothers me how weight loss translates into empowerment. Oh, totally, it means power over nature; nature tries to dictate things like our metabolism, and we're human beings, meaning we don't have to bow to it! Ever! (Can't burn fossil fuels because it'll fuck up the climate? The HELL WE CAN'T.) No, I understand where she's coming from here. That's how I felt after every bout of weight loss I struggled over.
And like 98% of the human population that attempts to lose more than 10% of their body weight, I gained it all back within 5 years, plus a little more because nature likes to put me back in my place. Boy, did that feel empowering!
The problem I can see here is that despite her achievements (which also include raising a son and dealing with the murders of her family members), she just didn't feel empowered enough without this. She's 98% likely to gain back all the weight, and then some, within 5 years. Will she feel empowered then?
Putting all of one's esteem into weight loss is disastrous. Well, more power to anyone who can survive it; they may spend the rest of their lives teetering on the edge of losing this "power" but fighting all opposition. If they're lucky, they may even be able to focus on parts of life outside that subject. If they're even luckier, they'll feel happy while they do it. Guess those guys are the 2%.
The rest of us will just have to find another way through life that doesn't revolve around our weight.
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