Parents' Guide to

Turn Back Your Body Clock

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Tough-talking doc helps people get healthy.

TV BBC America Reality TV 2006
Turn Back Your Body Clock Poster Image

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

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What's the Story?

In TURN BACK YOUR BODY CLOCK, a physician works with patients to reverse the damage that long-term unhealthy living has done to their bodies. Each episode of this British series centers on someone who's looking to improve upon a history of unhealthy diet and exercise choices, hopefully setting the stage for a significantly longer life. \"Shock doc\" Dr. Una Coales uses high-tech internal scans, physical exams, and tests that gauge fitness level to calculate her subjects' \"predicted death age\" -- which always delivers its intended jolt of fear -- and bring them face to face with images of their flabby physique and damaged internal organs. Coales is callous to the point of cruelty with her patients, often making remarks like \"Are you proud of your appearance?\" or \"Look at the fat -- it's everywhere!\" But her icy bedside manner -- coupled with the harsh reality of the patients' situation -- solidifies their resolve, and they commit to her eight-week program of a healthy diet and an exercise regime designed by trainer Tim Bean.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Since each episode is only 30 minutes long -- and the first 10 minutes are dedicated to the doctor's ominous predictions of early death -- the show tends to present a very simplified overview of the health-makeover process and understate the hurdles that accompany such an extreme lifestyle overhaul. But there's no denying that the results are inspiring, especially when the subjects' "before" and "after" photos and organ scans are compared, showing their bodies' newfound rejuvenation.

Turn Back Your Body Clock includes information about recommended daily allowances of food and drink, risk factors for various diseases, and easy fitness tests viewers can do at home. The series' educational quality makes it a great choice for watching and discussing with teens and a powerful motivator for including exercise and the four food groups in your family's daily routine.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. How do diet and exercise affect the way your body functions? How do different foods provide you with what you need? What happens if you omit certain types from your diet? What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? What are some ways you can add simple exercises such as walking to your daily routine? This series offers plenty of inspiration for families to get out of the house and walk, run, or play together. Parents can also encourage tweens and teens to pitch in on planning and preparing healthy meals.

TV Details

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