Thin privilege isn’t just the fact that shows like The Biggest Loser exist. Thin privilege is also how these sort of shows are advertised.

The Australian version of The Biggest Loser recently started, and the commercial for the newest episode has a “professional” doctor telling the contestants that he is going to calculate the age that they are going to die. Followed by dramatic music and gasps.

Because apparently he’s psychic or something, and can predict that all the contestants are going to die at ridiculously young ages because of their icky fatness. *rolls eyes*

Not only does this commercial perpetuate the stereotype that fat people are unhealthy slobs, but it also encourages the idea that fat people need to be told that they are unhealthy by those who “know better”. That they need to be schooled on how to lose weight by those who “know better”. That they need to be informed by others that their fatness is going to kill them.

Because apparently us fat people are too damn stupid to know that we are fat, or to figure out whether we are unhealthy or not. *rolls eyes again*

It frustrates me so much that this sort of fatphobia is acceptable in the media.