ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the ritualized transition from the obese participant's initial dangerous pleasure in food, through the externalization and othering of this food, and to the ultimate experience of abject being: an encounter with a disabled, morbidly obese American. By analysing episodes from seasons three to six of Supersize vs. Superskinny, the chapter reflects on how the programme both draws on and visually parades these wider cultural imaginings of fat and obesity, whilst using the resonances of alarm and abjection to construct a visual narrative for our viewing pleasure. As a literal meeting space for body weight extremes, Supersize vs. Superskinny provides a visceral education about the perils of becoming obese; the chapter examines how this message is conveyed through the programmes representations of the obese journey. The chapter demonstrates how Supersize vs. Superskinny positions the tacit learning of abjection as central to the prevention and reversal of obesity within the individual and social body.
