Whitney Thore, whose web videos “fat girl” became viral hits, is the subject of a new TLC reality series titled My Big Fat Fabulous Life, premiering Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 10pmET/PT. The refreshingly upbeat 
Whitney made a visit to the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour in Pasadena where she reinforced her message that size doesn’t matter when it comes to finding and doing things that make you happy. In her case, it’s her passion and love for dance.
Whitney’s unapologetic approach to her body size is an inspiration. The series is a heartfelt look into her life — including the prejudices and challenges she faces as a result of her obesity. The once 130-pound dancer/prom queen gained over 200 pounds in a short time as a result of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. She’s now 380 pounds.
“Obesity in America is such an issue that no one wants to talk about, and it’s filled with so much shame that even my family and my friends, nobody said anything, and I was too ashamed to say anything, so if we could speak a little bit more candidly about obesity, which is something that I hope My Big Fat Fabulous Life will accomplish,” Whitney said.
The upcoming premiere of the show, as well as her videos, have already generated plenty of support to her “no body shame” way of life. Tearing up at the session, she expressed the hardships of her size.
“I think that fat prejudice is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices that we have in America, and I think that’s really a shame because if you want to pursue a life of happiness and health, you can’t do it when you hate yourself,” she says. “I lived in so much shame and darkness and depression for over a decade that I wasted 10 years of my life, and it wasn’t until I finally learned that I had to love myself regardless. I have to claim my joy and my happiness, because there are people out there who don’t want me to be happy, but I have one life.”
Whitney’s a welcome wake up call and reminder to all on how to treat people.
The nine-part series will follow her life in Greensboro, North Carolina. My Big Fat Fabulous Life airs on TLC Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
She never shows or talks about what she eats, you ever notice that? She said in interview she was filmed eating pizza once, and that she didnt want to go the salad route because she wanted to be herself. In other words, she eats the wrong foods and lots ofthem. If she was eating healthy food to lose weight, she’d not be ashamed to show it. Polycistic Ovaries didnt put that many pounds on her, the pizza, burgers, chips, candy, cakes, pies, cookies, fried chicken, brownies, potatoes, cheese, Cokes, and all the other fatty, sugary, carb filled foods did. Then she gets on that scale her dad bought and wonders why she gained weight. What a laugh.
Personally, I find her loud and abnoxious. you can tell she thinks shes cute and funny and Ms. personality, but she’s really just way too loud. She laughs wildly at herself when she hasnt even said anything funny. Very annoying. And I for one do not care to see her having her gay friend and poor Buddy massage her humongous, gross, lard butt! Or laying on a bed naked under a sheet while her best friend massages her feet. Or strutting her big stretchmarked blimp belly around in a two piece swim suit. She puts herself in situations that invite rude comments, like mine, then cant believe people make the comments. Get real, girl. Oh, I forgot. You’re a woman, you just act like an adolescent.
Theres a lot of fakery on this show, like all the other so-called reality shows. Staged and fake. Like looking for a house with Buddy? Who is she kidding? Then she gets news she is pre-diabetic and thinks maybe she better stay home with mommy and daddy. Ha! She was never going anywhere in the first place, nor trying to lose weight, because she is too lazy and spoiled, and if she was slim and wasnt at home, there would be nothing to gripe and whine about and no show! We all know her mother Babs is the real star. Shes the one we love, not Whitney. She wants to make a lot of money, and I think it is crazy that gullible people are believing her bs. Its a load of crap. And shes not an inspiration like some of you say, shes a failure, and she lies, she is in denial, and she is fake, for the money and fame. Some people all for anything and flock like sheep around anybody on tv. Makes me wanna toss my cookies.
you inspire me. Get up…..be me…. Live and enjoy every day. It is easy to hide but to stand up and stay positive….YOU ROCK……
I love her mom! She is the star of the show! She is a treasure, and I want her to adopt me!
Whitney you are beautiful and inspirational! You go girl I know you are on your way to an e enjoy more fabulous life!!
I liked her ok for the first few minutes of the show, and then she started to annoy me more and more, and by the end of the show I could not stand her. I hope it gets canceled soon, and good riddence.
Why do fat people always need an excuse why they are fat? They were bullied or their family is fat or they were molested or raped or they are sad or bored or have a bad thyroid or they dont have time to work out or the polycystic ovary thing! Why cant they just admit its because they love food?? They just love to eat! Ok? It tastes great! So they overdo it, just like a drinker drinking too much, a gambler gambling too much, a shopper shopping too much, a druggie doing drugs, and whatever else. They love it, thats why they do it. They are slaves to what they love. They get something out ofit. Simple as that.
Fat people love to blame their fatness on everything they can think of. There is no way PCOS put that much blubber on her! It was the ol’ hand-to-mouth that was the culprit! Now she’s trying to make a lot of money exploiting her fatness! Some of these sickeningly-gushy-sweet over-the-top comments are making me gag. An inspiration? A hero? Courageous? Really?? She’s just a fat girl trying to loseweight! Millions of peoplea day do it! Why do you people butter her up with your phony praise? Say what you are really thinking! That she is embarrassing all who are overweight, bouncing her blubber all over the place like she thinks it’s cute, (it’s not!), making bs excuses for her fatness, and her flippy attitude to her mom and dad stinks! She wants everything handed to her on a big platter! Thats how she got to be a lard-butt in the first place! Her butt can barely fit through a door unless she turns sideways, and PCOS did not do that! She should own up to the truth instead of being the typical blame-everything-and-everyone-in-the-world fatty! You can defend her all you want, but I have no respect for anyone who can’t put the blame where blame is due. She’s in denial! If you all want to lose weight, put the fork down!!! And I am sure you all think I am a skinny hater who doesn’t understand and hasn’t been there, but I assure you I have! I was 336 lbs, have PCOS, but I knew I was the only one to blame, not my PCOS, I made my own choices, I knew better, I knew what it was doing to me, it doesnt matter the reasons I did it. Food is a crutch, like any other addiction that makes us feel better for a fleeting moment. We all have imperfect lives, and reasons we over-eat, but the fact remains we gain weight because we eat too much and move too little. Make healthy food choices, watch your portions, drinks lots of water, and w-a-l-k!! The weight will come off! If I could do it, so can everyone else who really wants to lose weight. I am 143 lbs now, have had two surgeries for excess skin-removal so far, and I am off all meds except the ones for thyroid and PCOS, and feel great! And I never blamed my weight on PCOS, genes, big bones, Diabetes, a divorce, anxiety, depression, sweet tooth, fluid retention, my thyroid, my parents, not having time to exercise, or anything else except I ate too much!
Don’t know why I even bother responding to a biggot like you. Keep your opinion to yourself and leave this BEAUTY alone. Why is it ok to comment on a persons body? You are a miserable person
My mother and I really enjoy your show! You have the best attitude and
Really are an inspiration to me! You’re intelligent, and funny, and we just love you parents! They remind me of my upbringing in Tennessee. You’re so blessed to have them. :-). I’m way too old (45), but would love to have a friend like you. Ha! Keep going girl !!! God bless you and your family.
Dear Whitney, I love your show, I looked forward to it starting from the day I seen it advertised on t.v. You are an inspiration to so many people.. most importantly to yourself. I love your humor, positive attitude and your huge heart. I feel your pain when you are down. I love your parents, your Mother is a sweetheart I believe a true southern lady. You both keep me smiling. even giggling at times. Your father is a gem, I know he wants the best for you.. I wish you all the good things in life. Keep on dancing Whitney, I can see how much joy it brings you.. the exercise is just an added benefit.. You also have such loving and positive friends as well.. Hugs from Cindy.. Victoria B.C. Canada
Hi Whitney, I had been eagerly awaiting to watching your show ever since I saw your show’s preview! Your love of dance, fun personality, positive energy, bravery, and seeing a woman who is comfortable in her own skin (a rarity for even thin women like me who had battled an eating disorder as a teen, depression, and not to mention an extremely painful divorce), is why I’m a faithful viewer. I can relate to the pain that others have caused you because I’ve been there too. Sometimes it’s a victory just to get my bod out of the house on weekends, it’s even harder now that my sweet dad has passed away. You encourage me to become less reclusive, a more positive thinker, brave, and a better person who doesn’t take things quite so seriously, and you make me laugh, which is always the best medicine!
I saw you on Dr. Oz recently and had never heard of your disease before, but I read and learned a long time ago to never judge an overweight person as if he or she is lazy and undisciplined—especially when it’s a woman, because you never know their true story behind the weight. It seems like 99% of the time there’s a reason behind the weight, such as a thyroid issue or someone was raped, molested, or abused.
I was disgusted by the mean coments that you and your mom were reading on the show, but you’re right, they talk that way because they were raised to be mean-spirited and unaccepting of people who are different from them. Thankfully I wasn’t raised that way, and I’ve always had friends much heavier than myself, and they are awesome like you! They have big hearts, are smart, talented, and have so much to offer the world and in friendships, just as you clearly do too! You are beautiful inside and out, and I love how you refuse to be bullied, speaking out against the ignorance, living life to fullest, dancing your butt off and venturing out of you comfort zone. You are teaching the most important life lessons for women of all ages since we all tend to beat ourselves up anyway for not looking like perfect Photoshopped magazine covers. You inspire me and countless other women, and I’m especially proud of you letting young women who are watching know that you must always value and treasure yourself and bullies can have no power over you if you refuse to let their hatefulness get to you because you know you’re amazing as is!
You are the confident, funny, and strong woman that I want to be and would love to call a friend! I wish I lived closer to you so I could take that dance class you teach—it looks like so much fun and it would be such a thrill to meet you. You go girl!
WHITNEY,I LOVE YOUR SHOW AND YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO A LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN,DO NOT LISTEN TO THE RUDE AIR HEADS,KEEP ON ROCKIN!
Your parents are so sweet and caring, but you make fun of them and treat them with disrespect, and seem to take all they do for you for granted! So typical of young people these days who think they are entitled! They don’t appreciate anything. All they care about is their own little problems, and having their fun while the parents buy their food and cook it for them and do their laundry and give them shelter and love, and clean up after them, all which goes unappreciated. Heck, your poor sweet mother had the disgusting job of having to shave the back of your legs, and you couldn’t even say thank you?? Yes, you say you love them, but it is then followed with ridiculing them, however good-naturedly and with love it may be. It still compromises their dignity. It is not right to be living at home when you’re 30! Can someone say failure to launch??? Get a fulltime job and get out on your own if you want a real life! Maybe when you do that, and are taking care of your own place and yourself, you will lose weight! Your parents do not have to let you live there and mooch off them, so how ’bout you stop being so self-involved and help out some around the house and make their life easier like they are making yours easier? Someday they will be gone, and you will be sorry you took them for granted and treated them like that.
I wish you the best of luck, however, I have a couple of issues. First, you blame your weight over and over on PCOS, but I and one of my friends both have it, but we have not gained any weight because of it. It does not automatically put weight on you. Especially THAT much. If you can lose weight with it, that means it could have been prevented in the first place, and though it is not curable, the symptoms are managed with medication and lifestyle choices. I am on several medications, I watch what I eat, and I exercise every day except Sundays, and I am doing fine. Second, you were reading a comment about you left by a mother who said her 5-year-old daughter said she didn’t like your dancing because you were a “fat-ass.” You acted insulted, but YOU YOURSELF said in the commercials advertising your show “I’m a fat-ass!” That’s quite a insult to ALL overweight people, so that makes you as guilty as that ignorant creep that called you Shammu, and the ones who left insulting comments online. And you have made MANY fat jokes. Dont MAKE them if you dont want them made about YOU. So much for No Body Shame! What a joke. Body-shaming is exactly what you are doing. Good luck on your weight-loss, but I am sorry to say I think you are a phony.
Dear Whitney,
I think you are adorable and my
Inspiration. I have the same health issue
as you plus hypothyroidism. I have a very
Low self-esteem and tend to shy away from
events and people.
You have no idea how your positive
attitude has lifted my spirits and helps
Me to be comfortable in my own skin.
Please ignore any and all negative
comments that comes from STUPID
People .
God bless you and thank you for just
being YOU.
Sincerely yours, Jackie Williams
Whitney, you are so beautiful – inside and out. I did not initially intend to watch your show bc, though my own weight issue is under 200 pounds, it is probably a bigger issue than yours (it’s all in the attitude!). I have lost and gained a herd of elephants over my 65 years on planet Earth. You have an attitude that is priceless. You personally are a unique gift to many. You inspire ME, and that’s a first! Thank you.
Be good to you, ignore the ignorant and keep on fighting the good fight!
Take care.
Jennie Marleau
in northern MS
Whitney,
I just had to leave a message and say how much I hand enjoyed your show. I have laughed so much and. I have also cried as well. People can be so cruel and stupid. Keep up the positive attitude and keep smiling.
Whitney, not only have I watched your show from day one, but I have also watched every dance video you have posted. You are a true inspiration! Over the past several months I have been dealing with a tremendous amount of fluid gain in my stomach. It just will not go away and keeps getting worse. I want you to know that you inspired me that it doesn’t matter the size you are or what you do to stay fit, you have to put yourself out there and be you! Block out all the negative. Yes, the stuff people say does hurt but trust me, their all probably just jealous because they don’t have the self-esteem, commitment, attitude, beauty, and courage to be absolutely fabulous in your own skin! Girl I am so proud and blessed to have a role model like you! You inspire me to be who I am no matter what! Parents will give you a hard time but compromise is best! You are an amazing dancer! Thank you for being who you are no matter what! You are the most inspiring person in this world!
Hi Whitney! I just love your show and everything about it. I have struggled with weight issues all my life and am currently working on loving myself more and not being so hard on myself. The only thing I really hate are haters and was appalled at the mom who thought it was OK for her five year old to call you a “fat ass!” I mean seriously, what are people thinking teaching that kind of attitude to a child? I’m truly sorry I do not live in NC because I would love to join your class. I also want to say that I just love your mom so much! She cracks me up, especially when she tried to pick up the guy in the shoe store for you 🙂 Keep on being fabulous and know that if you ever make a dance workout video I will be first in line to buy one. Good luck in your journey and best wishes.
Whitney I have watched your show from day one & I do find it to be very inspiring I have had some trouble with weight myself due to a knee injury I have put on about 30 lbs. I feel your pain and I support you in all that you do. Although I watched your second show and I feel like you need to look inside yourself and also think about how you treat and speak to your parents the comments about your father, in regards to what he would like to see you do more of like your car ( cleaning it ) come on Whitney you are 30 years old you live in your parents house don’t u think they deserve more respect that you are giving them. The fact that you are overweight does not make you a horrible person or any of the bull shit that all the skinny asses in this world have to say to you. Personally I respect the fact that you are trying and all I want to say about that is you go girl. I am sending you all of my support and love but please baby you need to work on how you speak and treat your parents. I know as you read and hear my reaction to how you treat them you are thinking ( go to HELL ) but really think about it as much as you are thinking of yourself and what you are going through, and think a little more about them. You need to check yourself. Treat them with the respect that you want people to have for you!
I agree with Lynn and some of the other peoples comments about how you treat your folks, Whitney. But now if you start treating them nicer, we will know its bull, and that youre only reacting to the comments. Doesnt mean anything to us or them if we know its an act. I no longer watch your show after seeing what a disrespectful person you are. Funny you want people to respect you, but you dont respect them. If you did, youd treat them like they deserve. Shame on you. Also, I cant believe youre 30! You act more like youre 15. Grow the heck up!
You Go Girl !!!!!