Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Addicted to Food

I got a comment on my post Rebrand from Jill Smith from OWN regarding the new series Addicted to Food on OWN. I actually have a lot of feelings about this show.  My friend Beth, I refer to her as Beazel, and I are TV texting buddies. We tend to watch Real Housewives, Ruby and now Addicted to Food together. If one of us catches it later we text bomb the other. I think somehow texting it makes some of the mind blowing nature of the programming easier to grasp.

Tennie McCarty, the founder and CEO of Shades of Hope the treatment center on Addicted to Food first became familiar to me on the show Ruby. I fell a little in love. She is no freakin joke. Take no prisoners call you out, and make you confront yourself. Her methods are intense, you are stripped of everything upon entering treatment. Your phone, wallet, no books, magazines, nail polish (still a little baffled by that), zero distractions. In some ways I think what is to be taking away distractions so you are forced to confront your disease is dehumanizing but I also think its really important. You have to be humbled to admit you need help. In order to be willing to rethink, relearn, and reopen yourself something has to make you leave enough pride behind to do this. I respect a lot of what she has to say and the fact that she is kind but firm. Any addict has been enabling themselves and I applaud her for making it clear that it ends there.

That being said I think treatment is tough to watch on a TV show. One of the women who had just entered treatment reveals she is attracted to women and thinks that is part of why she eats. Whoah! I wonder though did she say it because it's true and now there's no backing out? Do the cameras make people be even more honest because it is recorded? I don't think people play to them so much as take advantage of that there is no take backs. It's going to be pretty tough to tell your family, oh that whole lesbian thing, yeah I was kidding. Maybe what you can not say, examine, or reveal in your real life you have to be removed to discover and say out loud. I guess more then anything I find it compelling that this group of people is willing to admit they have a problem, need treatment, isn't making excuses and has begun 42 day plan. I am curious to see how it all plays out. What do they learn, what tactic will Tennie employ next, and who comes out healthier, and happier.

On a side note Ruby and her Women's Fat Night group went to the 6 day intensive. Her friends all had some major breakthroughs, Ruby had one or two, but really just ran back and hid. I'll save my Ruby rant for another post, but moving on...When this season of Ruby began her friends had lost 35-50 pounds since attending the intensive. They also seemed more peaceful then before. It made me happy for them especially Joan because I find her adorable.

I am not sure Tennie's methods would be right for me. I would probably be tempted to rebel and get in my own way but who knows.  The Binge Diary went to Shades of Hope and posted the below about it, which I will be watching the show to see how this is addressed. Nutritional counseling, intuitive eating, that sort of stuff. I think it's odd they have to eat everything on their plate. If you have a binge/restrict history most therapies are trying to reset this in you not just ignore it, but I am not and never have been a expert on this. I just have lots of opinions and texting to do with Beth later.


The Binge Diary:
http://thebingediary.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-rant-on-residential-treatment.html



Addicted to Food:
http://www.oprah.com/own-addicted-to-food/Addicted-to-Food-Welcome-to-Treatment-FULL-EPISODE


Here's a Ruby clip I could find on youtube, I am sure the episodes are somewhere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRaOSap378Y&list=SL

3 comments:

  1. I love Ruby! Thanks for sharing the clip - I missed it :)

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  2. Just watched Addicted to Food. I think I'm addicted to the show. Great post!

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  3. Runeatrepeat- I am losing some of my Ruby love, she just seems super childish and enabled. I try not to judge but I just think she still avoids taking any real responsibility. I like this season she is getting called out more, by everyone and having to confront herself.

    cmh- Agreed! I had to go out last night, but can not wait to watch it tonight on my dvr, a treat for getting through the day to go home to. Does Tennie scare you to or am I the only one?

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