Nine overweight people move in together to talk obesity for new TV show

The writer, performer and comedian calls herself a “fat activist” and wants to change perceptions of fat people.

Losing weight 10 years ago did not bring her happiness, so she decided to switch her focus from weight loss.

“I’ve always been fat. Not only that, but I was the fattest. But being thin didn’t make me happy. It just meant I could buy more clothes.”

Miranda, who does not think obesity should be labelled a disease, now runs club nights and social events for plussize people and wants more fat people represented on TV. “I’m so tired of seeing fat girls as just the funny best friend or the one desperate to diet.”

We really are a growing nation – with more than a quarter of us now officially obese.

Obesity is one of the leading causes of health problems and premature death, causing a huge strain on the NHS.

But what is it like to live as an overweight person, with an appearance increasingly subjected to public scrutiny?

In a thought-provoking BBC documentary called Who Are You Calling Fat?, nine obese people move into a house in Oxfordshire for a week to weigh up the big issues.

From a fat activist who objects to the word “obesity” and is an “intuitive eater”, to a man diagnosed with diabetes who is desperate to lose weight and save his health, every housemate has a startlingly different point of view.

In the house, they debate whether obese people should do anything about their weight or embrace their size.

What should the Government do? How should people talk about obesity? And should it be celebrated?

John Wass, a Professor of Endocrinology and an Obesity Empowerment Network member who was a consultant to the series, says he hopes the show will kick-start a very important national debate.

He says: “We are living through a global pandemic, where obesity is now considered a bigger problem than world hunger.

“The series explores a number of crucial medical and policy issues, and also promotes empathy and understanding. The cure is not as simple as just eating less and exercising more.

“We now know science is identifying genes that contribute to weight and obesity by affecting appetite.

“There are also people in the series who describe themselves as body positive, a small but increasingly vocal movement in ‘fat politics’ that responds to years of stigma and discrimination.

“It is important we hear and understand all points of view in this often heated debate.”

So to get you ready, here’s our guide to the residents… ■ Who Are You Calling Fat? is on BBC2 on Monday and Tuesday at 9pm.

Tell us what you think: yourvoice@mirror.co.uk