Fitness expert Jillian Michaels debated four body positivity activists who disagreed with her about obesity during a Monday episode of Jubilee’s “Surrounded” series.
Michaels claimed on the Jubilee episode that “Obesity is not healthy, and pretending it is puts lives at risk.” Surrounded by 20 body positivity activists, four took turns debating her on the claim, starting with a female eating disorder therapist.
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“I’m going to do my best to not use the O word because I find it pretty offensive,” the therapist said. “So I’m going to use fat-bodied as we talk. Do you understand why people find it harmful and triggering?”
“Overweight and obese is literally just having too much body fat,” Michaels said. “It has nothing to do with the quality of the person.”
The therapist agreed before Michaels prompted her to debate her claim. Michaels used scientific terms about the health consequences of obesity before the therapist said she wanted to “pause” the debate.
“Of course you do want to pause because it’s irrefutable,” Michaels retorted. “You don’t even know what I’m talking about.”
“Jillian. Okay, first of all, I don’t appreciate the way that you’re speaking to me right now … You’re talking to me very disrespectfully right now,” the therapist said.
Michaels continued to challenge the therapist’s knowledge, leading her to admit she was not an expert in medicine.
“The idea that fat-bodied people are inherently unhealthy is, I believe, incorrect,” the therapist said.
“You’re wrong,” Michaels responded. “There’s a robust amount of data.”
The next woman to debate Michaels appeared overweight and introduced herself by saying she had “lived in a fat body” for an extended period of time. She said she had disorders that made her weight necessary.
“There are many things that I’m more concerned about than my weight,” she said.
“I’ve had numerous debates with people who are body positivity activists that try to tell me that they can be healthy at any size,” Michaels said. “And it’s just not the case.”
The activist said she disagreed before the third debater, who said she was a mental health professional, approached Michaels.
“[W]hat I’m trying to show you is that if in some cases the pain associated with continuing that defense mechanism is greater than the pain associated with change, it helps people change in some cases,” Michaels said.
“Not in the long term,” the debater responded.
The fourth debater said she had a private practice, but did not specify.
“I don’t encourage weight loss because it’s unethical,” she said.
“I disagree with you,” Michaels replied.
President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have pledged to “Make America Healthy Again” and address various health issues, including reducing obesity.
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