Who Are You Calling Fat?

Over a quarter of British adults are now obese. We are regularly told that obesity is one of the leading causes of health problems and premature death, and that the impact on the NHS is growing. So what is life like for those whose appearance is, increasingly, the subject of public scrutiny? In a thought-provoking series, nine people who live with obesity, or who choose to call themselves fat, move in together to explore what it means to be larger bodied in Britain today. For nine days they confront each other with their own truth about being big. What, if anything, should they do about their weight? Should they love their bodies and embrace their size, or should they strive to get healthy and lose weight? The housemates have starkly differing views - and even agreeing appropriate language to describe themselves causes friction. The growing Body Positivity movement encourages plus-size people to be proud of their bodies, and has reclaimed the word fat. They believe that people need to love themselves to be happy and that dieting is doomed to fail. Others are concerned about the risks of developing serious health problems and believe that weight loss is the main path to health and happiness. In the first episode, the group meet and settle in a house in the Oxfordshire countryside and begin to share their personal stories. As Del starts to tell them about the bariatric surgery that he feels has saved his life, Victoria accuses him of having stomach amputation surgery and the battle lines are drawn. Sarah, the director of Obesity UK, campaigns to end stigma and increase access to services for people living with obesity. But 'fat activist' Victoria wants to fight stigma her own way, on the streets. She challenges the group to join her in a public stand for self-love in a busy city centre. She strips off to her bikini and encourages passers-by to draw hearts and write supportive messages on her body. Babs, who struggles to accept her body, is horrified at the idea of revealing herself in public. Courtney thinks it is one of the best things she has ever done in her life, but what will the passers-by think? Lorry driver Jack has recently put his own Type 2 diabetes into remission with a regime of diet and exercise. He wants the rest of the group to understand the seriousness of the disease and invites guest Colin to the house. Former night club manager Colin recently had a leg amputated as a result of Type 2 diabetes. He says 'I inflicted diabetes on myself. I love eating, it's my downfall. I found it difficult not to eat all the chips.' But Victoria says she found his language was food shaming. She says 'Crisps, chips and chocolate are morally equivalent to salad'. As a result of Colin's warnings, stand-up comedian Jed, who has not been to see a doctor for six years, decides to go and get a health check. As the first half of their week draws to a close, Miranda organizes a Fatty Olympics in the garden. As Jed, Sarah and Jack look on, the household has become increasingly divided.

Obesity is rarely out of the headlines. With levels doubling in the last 20 years and over one in four people classed as living with the condition, it is one of the leading causes of serious health consequences and premature death. This series gets behind the statistics and gives a voice to people who are often discussed, but rarely heard. In the second episode, the group dig deeper to understand how they became big in the first place and turn to look at what society should do about it. They also get to enjoy a dance class, comedy gig and family barbecue. Babs and Victoria battle their differing opinions on whether fat bodies can be attractive - with devastating consequences. Babs reveals her own history of disordered eating and says that for her binge eating feels like a drug addiction. She wants to explore what help she may be able to get. Sarah, the director of charity Obesity UK laments the short-sighted way in which the NHS treats people who struggle with their weight. The group receive the results of a survey of public attitudes towards people living in larger bodies and are divided over the revelations. 69% of people in the survey think the rise in obesity is becoming too much of a burden on the NHS. For Babs the idea that obesity is a drain on the NHS is a given, but not everyone agrees. The survey also asked if children who are obese should be encouraged to lose weight. 84% of people in the survey said they should. Fat activist Victoria disagrees - she believes encouraging children to lose weight can lead to eating disorders. The group are visited by geneticist Dr Giles Yeo who reveals the results of their DNA test. He explains how some of them carry genes making them crave fatty foods and that their genes play a role in their current weight. For Jed, there are surprises in his genes that cause him to rethink his own weight journey and question where the burden of personal responsibility lies. The arrival of two Parliamentarians working on the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on obesity causes friction as the group struggle to agree on what the future should look like for people living in bigger bodies, and some are left questioning whether the fight to end obesity means the eradication of them as people. It is stand-up comedian Jed's 29th birthday and he celebrates by doing a spot at a local comedy club. But will the rest of the group appreciate his self-deprecating humour as he laughs at his own weight? For plus-size model and influencer David, representation is entirely serious.