Fascination with the Morbidly Obese
My 600-lb Life has been airing on TLC since February 1st of 2012, and six years later episodes are still being released every week. We really don’t need six seasons worth of content to know what life is like being morbidly obese, yet people can’t stop watching one miserable story after another - clips on youtube have millions of views. People don’t sample these videos out of mere curiosity, they actively obsess in them - and what motivates our morbid fascination?
The extremes of human behaviour has always captivated us. For decades stories of murderers, psychopaths, pedophiles have been used for entertainment - we have always been intrigued by people who can go “all the way.” They shock us with behaviour we could never fathom. How can anyone possibly eat 8 burgers and 5 ice cream smoothies for breakfast? That’s outrageous! But, for some, it may be precisely to indulge in such radical behaviour. As one forum opinion writes: “it’s like an opportunity to eat vicariously through the fat people.” Whether to be shocked by or to wallow in the lifestyle of the morbidly obese, there is no doubt that people revel in watching the human extremes.
We derive a sadistic pleasure from the 600 lb life - and almost anyone can. The bar set for standard of living is so low literally anybody crawl over it. Concerned about your weight? At least you can walk. Disappointed with your job? At least you have one. Struggling with a broken relationship? At least you’re alive to see them. Watch the show with mockery or with sympathy, you recognise you’re better.
The show also plays on our deepest fears: failure - in other words - the morbidly obese. We like the fear because it both motivates and excites us. In the tumblr blog of 600 lb Life Confessions, an anonymous submission writes “I’m anorexic and the show helps me lose weight.” Gaining weight is pure horror for someone with anorexia, but that’s exactly the attraction. He/she, like hundreds of viewers, embraces the fear as both an incentive and a thrill.
We are disgusted by how the he morbidly obese stuff their faces as they dig their own graves. Just look at the comments on youtube: “no point in keeping her in society,” “I would just let her die.” After all, all we see is the weakness to indulge uncontrollably. But by watching their 600lb lives, what twisted part of ourselves are we indulging?