Parents' Guide to

Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Kids work hard to combat obesity in frank reality show.

TV Style Network Reality TV 2010
Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 3 parent reviews

gweegwee
gweegwee Parent of 3, 8, 10 and 10-year-old
August 30, 2010
age 6+

I love Taneisha

I love the show, especially Taneisha. That young lady is such an iinspiration. She is focused and motiivated to do well and lets nothing get her down. I think it should show us as parents/grandparents that state of bad health that our young people are in. We want them to outlive us so we need to be able to set a positive environment for our kids NOW to end childhood obesity.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
bubbieloon
bubbieloon Adult
August 19, 2010
age 17+

not pleased with message

I watched the show where the two oys were reprimanded for throwing things at each other. instead of giving one kid 1 week with nothing to do, how about some supervised exercises> or a paper on how this experience will help later in life? sitting alone for a week is a bad message for doing nothing. nothing!The title is self defeating.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TOO FAT FOR 15: FIGHTING BACK follows five obese young people between the ages of 11 and 17 who attend the Wellspring Academy of the Carolinas -- an exclusive weight-loss boarding school where they learn healthy eating habits, participate in structured exercise regimes, and take part in group therapy and counseling sessions led by behavioral coaches. They also take a full load of academic courses. Throughout the process, the tweens and teens work on the physical and psychological challenges they face as obese people, which sometimes include confronting the deep emotional factors that contribute to their dangerously unhealthy weight. It isn't easy, but they hope that the time they spend at Wellspring will put them on the path to a better life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Too Fat for 15 offers an intimate look at the difficult journey that these young adults are taking toward changing their lives. Wellspring's acclaimed immersion program is designed to isolate students from a world that fuels their unhealthy habits in order to help them make better lifestyle choices; as a result, the show is as much as about the program's success as it is about the triumphs and setbacks of the kids participating in it.

Watching the kids struggle through Wellspring's program isn't easy, but overall the underscores how their struggles will lead to a healthier and happier life. It also highlights the complicated factors that led to their weight gain in the first place, including fatty food consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, low self-esteem, and addiction. Their efforts to reclaim their lives are inspirational, but the show acts as a sobering reminder of the consequences of the obesity epidemic plaguing America's children.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's messages. What is it saying about both body image and weight loss? How does the media contribute to people's weight gain/loss?

  • Why do you think these kids agreed to share their stories on television? Do you think their stories will help inspire others?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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