On January 12th, E! premiered Khloe Kardashian's latest TV show, "Revenge Body." This weight loss show promotes Khloe's own weight loss journey and shows her attempts to help others achieve similar weight loss success.
At first glance, this appears to be just another TV show for America's reality TV show family (I mean really, what are they even famous for?). And frankly, that's pretty much what it is.
The premiere focuses on two individuals seeking major weight loss: Will and Stephanie. Both are on the show for very different reasons. Stephanie is motivated to lose weight by her ex-best friend, whose comments about Stephanie's weight caused her to see herself as the "DUFF" (designated ugly fat friend) of her friend group. Will is motivated by his ex-boyfriend's hurtful breakup after Will gained 40 pounds during the relationship. Both Will and Stephanie are determined to show their haters that they can in fact have a great body and get revenge on those who made them feel bad about themselves. In order to get this revenge, Will and Stephanie take advantage of Khloe's connections in order to train with the best trainers, change their diet, and alter their appearance. They then conclude with a weight loss celebration party with their friends and family, in which they invite those whom they wanted revenge against in the first place.
Okay first of all, this entire concept just has me going:
This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. First of all, Khloe Kardashian has no credibility to be some variation of a fitness trainer. The only reason she lost weight was because she's rich. Her wealth got her access to all of the best trainers and supplements that are out there. Being rich doesn't mean you should tell people how to lose weight. She's not certified or formally educated in nutrition, personal training, or exercise science. I think she just woke up one morning and thought to herself, "I think I'll make a TV show about losing weight today!"
Second of all, Khloe's weight loss journey is not one to necessarily look up to. Yes, she was successful, but I don't believe it was completely centered in body positivity. People have been calling her the "fat Kardashian" for years, and if that was her only motivation, then no wonder her fitness show is about getting a "revenge body." Body positivity doesn't mean you are only positive about your appearance if you look like a Kardashian; it's about seeing the body you have as already being beautiful. "Revenge Body" is only reinforcing the long-time message that you have to be thin to love yourself. Real body positivity is loving the body you have and purging your life of the people who make you think otherwise.
Third of all, just like any other weight loss show, this cannot be truly healthy. Any dietitian will tell you that quick, intense weight loss, like what TV shows put their participants through, is not good for your body in the long run. The results do look fantastic, but they're not likely to last. After a few months, the contestants will likely be right back to their original, pre-show weight, and will just feel worse about themselves. This weight re-gain has been proven in other weight loss shows, like The Biggest Loser. Khloe's show doesn't even get to the root of the participants' weight gain; it just capitalizes on their grudges towards those people and their hurtful comments. And while that makes for great reality TV, it's not actually going to help these people in the long term.
So please, let this weight loss show fade out just like all the others have. Utilizing a rich person's connections to lose weight won't really solve all your problems, and being motivated by someone else's hurtful comments only works for a little while. Lose weight because you want to be healthier, not for revenge against someone who probably isn't worth your time anyways.