This is a free style entry. What is that? Well, whenever I go home to my dad's in Indiana, I have to put up with a slow, dial-up Internet. Ordinarily, when I am in my Ohio apartment, I try to put a little research into my posts, and I can do so because I have high speed and can create all of these windows for articles and searches, even as I am writing. I can't do that on my dad's Internet. In fact, I'm having difficulty right now typing on it. So a free style entry is a post that is unrefined. It doesn't have much research backing it up. It is basically my gut-level reaction to various issues. Anything I say in a free style entry should not be used against me, since the fact that it is a free style entry constitutes a disclaimer. I'll indicate that a post is a free style entry with the initials "FSE."
Okay, now to my post. Whenever I go home, I have an opportunity to watch shows that I normally do not watch. Yesterday evening, I saw a reality show called The Biggest Loser. In my own apartment, I don't watch reality shows, since I think they're a waste of time. But I was at my dad's, and my sister was there, and she likes this show, and there was nothing else for me to do, so I watched it with her.
Essentially, the show is about obese people who are trying to lose weight through a rigorous exercise and diet program. Those who do not lose enough are voted off the program. I guess that what made yesterday unique was that the person voted off was actually a hard-working and well-liked person, so she was a threat to those who were not on her team. The show is hosted by Sami of Days of our Lives (another show I only watch with my sister, never on my own), and even she cried at the contestant's departure.
One thing that struck me about the show was that all of the contestants were saying that they were "new people" after their weight loss. My reaction was, "No, you're the same person, only you weigh a lot less." But they're measuring themselves by how they look. They think that if they look better, they are better. Society values physical appearance an awful lot. I know that I do that myself, but I really don't think about how prevalent it is in society until I see a show like this. The reason may be that everyone looks good on the shows I watch, so The Biggest Loser reminds me that there are people who don't look like celebrities, feel bad because of that, and work to gain acceptance through improving their appearance.
But my analysis is a little one-sided, for they are also improving on the inside through their participation in the program. They are learning self-discipline, self-confidence, and commitment. They are also becoming healthier, which makes them feel good. So there are qualities that they are developing, but the goal of the whole process is a good physical appearance, which is apparently an idol in today's culture.
Personally, I wish that I could motivate myself to exercise and eat right. I walk uphill to school, and yet that has not helped me lose weight. I really don't want to count calories before I eat something. I'm actually going to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, and I don't care how many calories I take in. I don't plan to eat a piece of asparagus while others enjoy turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry salad, and the other trimmings. So I admire those who are willing to put themselves through pain for any reason, even to look better. I just find that I prefer to enjoy things. Still, maybe I can exercise a little more.