Superskinny Me: The Race to Size Double Zero
It’s estimated that British women who diet spend on average 31 years trying to lose weight. One-in-five women who diet are permanently or regularly on a diet, and one woman in ten would shockingly rather be skinny than intelligent.
What is it that feeds the female obsession regarding body image, weight and dieting?
Superskinny Me: The Race to Size Double Zero follows two journalists – Kate Spicer and Louise Burke – as they go on a no-holds-barred journey into the world of extreme dieting – exposing the dangers to both mind and body. The movie looks beyond the glossy magazines and Hollywood’s ‘lolly-pop’ starlets to issue a life-size health warning about the latest fads and crash diets, and exposes the physical and emotional fall-outs of them.
Both journalists, healthy size 12s with average BMIs, are aiming to drop five dress sizes in five weeks. With a ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ warning, both Kate and Louise have undergone rigorous physical and mental tests by a team of medical experts from Imperial College led by Dr Le Roux. At an appointment with Kate, Dr Le Roux dispels the long-held dieter’s myth that laxatives aid weight loss.
Broadsheet freelancer Kate has written extensively about body image. Kate says: “I’ve always really enjoyed immersing myself in journalism, doing stupidly what I call ‘method journalism’ where you get involved in the story, and the best way to understand something is to become it. Obviously I have my own issues with my body. I’m 37, it’s not going to be perfect. I’ve also been fascinated with those car crash girls who live very strange lives in order to fit into fashion sample sizes, and I’ve always wondered what it entails to be like that.”
28-year-old, Louise Burke, features editor for the Sunday Mirror’s supplement Celebs on Sunday, has never worried about her weight. A slim Louise is a perfect size 12 and, unusually, has never been on a diet, but her job exposes her to all the latest diet fads and crazes.
About taking part in the programme Louise says: “The last thing I want to do is show people how to lose the weight because that would just be awful and that is not the aim of the experiment either. The aim of the experiment is to show and highlight all the horrible, nasty side effects that extreme diet does.”
Following strict regimes of swimming in freezing cold water to raise the metabolism, colonic irrigation, The Watercress Soup Diet, The Lemonade Diet, Just Say No Diet, and extreme exercise regimes, the film has unexpected results, as it is not just the physical side effects that come under the most scrutiny.
Relationships reach breaking point, functioning in their normal daily lives becomes almost impossible and emotions run away. Ultimately for one journalist the experiment is halted, as concerns are raised by the doctor, while for the other, size 00 jeans beckon – but at what cost?
Sunday 22 April 2007
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I don’t think these two women who are both size 12’s and slim enough already should go on any diet whatsoever. No television programme is worth making yourself ill over. This kind of programme should not go ahead.
We have already seen the painfully aware size zero programme which was shocking enough there is no need for more of the same.
Maureen
Newcastle.
When’s it on!?
I missed the time and date it said when it was advertised on tv.
This is gonna be great.
sunday at 9pm
Oooh lovely
Another reality TV programme for shredding lots of weight and getting skinny
Perfect to fuel my eating disorder that I have suffered from for 2 years.
Lets hope I get lots of hints and tips to get mega skinny in 5 weeks then
):-z
i absolutly agree with lexy. stupid idea for some people it will serve as deterant for others an incentive and a guide.
yes these diets do work but once you start eating/digesting proper food the weight falls on I went down to a size 10 now im battling to lose weight yes i put more weight on not saying how much but it’s scary to go back on the diet i look at loads of diet gimmics but its scary to start you think to yourself o.k today im going to be good but you slip into a depression like your missing out of something. like you starving youself. I can not go through that again but yes i do need help. you eat because your mind can not explain properly its hard.
does anyone know were i can watch this online or anything, i missed it and i really wanted to watch it. thanks
u can watch it on the net on 4 OD aparently
wel i hav 2 say i fort it was much betta dun than the louise reknapp one – i suffer from bulimia and unlike the last programme i thought it was well done ok yes showing the amounts they needed to eat n calories to burn wasnt a gd idea but i thought the bad effects of extreme dietin were shown as how easy it is to have a predisposition for an eating disorder mayb it wil show ppl that its not an attention thing – however if tht journalist fell so easy in to bulimic traits why wasnt this piked up in the psychological test she took part in ( or so we were told she took part n ) for me i think it wasnt done better than the last programme so well done for that channel 4 and the 2 journalists that took part
however one thing that got me thinking was neither girl was underweight ( as in bmi ) at fitting in 2 a size 00 i would of fort she would have a bmi under the normal of 18.5 ( the at risk area) but she didnt how can this be does that mean she was healthy even though she fit into it or is bmi jst a bad way to measure it? could sum1 mayb explain it to me im confused my bmi is 17.6 but i cnt fit into a size 00 altho im alot shorter than both the girls shown
but i think weldoen for highligting laxatives dutn so anyfing for gettin rid of food but mentally its hard to realise tht wen u r in so much anguish
i dont think the programme was as triggerin as the last altho food amoutns n exercise should not have been shown altho i feel it did mayb shok n scare me mor and cry due to seeing how they felt n seeing it in myself and the social implications
i hope that the journalist who had problems whilst doing it has made a full recoery howver i would like to say how gr8 they both looked at ther size 12 size they didnt look like they needed to lose any but i guess we all wish to its a bit of human nature i guess but yes mayb they did look gd as they started to lose a bit but noe extreme they looked pale n angular it wasnt a gd look but then agen ppl wid eating disorders dunt c the real them but it was gd for awareness n beta than the other programme but dont make anymor wid food amount n exercise in as for as many ppl u make fink its not a gd idea u giv inspiration to the same
So I watched it and think ‘what was the point?’
I have come into work today thinking, as usual, what can I eat today? And if I hardly eat anything this week, maybe by next week I will be a size 6? (Im 8-10 now)
Fortunatley neither of the girls became ‘underweight’ although Im supprised, as to be a size 00 I would have thought you would have to become under weight to achieve it.
I watched the programme hoping that the slant would be to really understand why extreme dieting is a really bad idea for your body. The downside is clearly the mental effects but if you already have a thought process that believes that starving your body of the nutrients you need to function then what’s a little depression, tearfulness or lack of concentration going to do to stop you? Isn’t there already a disconnect between what is going on in your body and what is in your mind before you make that decsion? What came across was the slight addiction both Louise and Kate felt to the loss of weight. The information about laxatives was good, and the warning that sudden heart failure is a potential risk of extreme dieting was stark. But if it’s true why don’t we hear about who it has happened to? I’m frustrated that the programme really showed us that you can get to 00 in 5 weeks, it’s do-able. Maybe pointless, stressful and unreasonable alongside day to day life – but it is do-able. And no lasting side effects were discussed apart from your body gaining extra weight when you return to normal eating patterns.
I really hope Kate is well again. Both girls looked great before they started. There’s a fine line between detoxing for health and punishing yourself for weightloss.
I was knowingly left without money for food for over 80 days by the JobCentre. My weight dropped from 11.5 stone to 8.5 stone. The Job Centre gives re-assurances that if they get things wrong they will make every effort to put you back in the position you would have been in. What did they do? …. after 80 days, they hired a top City Lawyer who advised them to send the Police to threaten me with arrest for harassment – strange they had to wait 80 days and pay loads of dosh to a lawyer ….
…. I would not recommend anyone to try the JSA diet … still the advantage is that now I can get myself arrested, thrown in prison – where in fact they WILL feed me …..
… keep smiling peeps …. these b&*^$£ds will win in the end ….
So they slimmed to a 00 (UK 2), but where the hell can you get clothes in a 00? its hard enough to get a 0(UK 4). Is it really worth trying to get that skinny for no clothes to look ‘good’ in.
I a 17 year old girl, and I’m constantly thinking am i thin enough? I always want to be able to fit into thinner clothes than my friends, and i want to look like the models.
thanx!
This program really put things into prpspective. I think it was a really good idea.
In my eyes all that’s happened since these programmes have aired is that people have seen how fast you can become a size 0 and aim harder, they’ve proved it can be done and fast where most people before thought it was a distant dream. What these programme makers don’t understand is a mood swing or sleepless night are worth it to be be skinny to these people.
hey.
im like 13 stone n i want to loose wait. to me this programe did nothing. infact it made me wanan loose wait even more.
I think the documentary was more on how do lose weight in a rather stupid way than an account of what it means to be a size O.
it made me sick i mean errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
i am 8 stone 6 years and watched the program and it put it all into prpspective and now trying to put on weight it has showen me that being slim is not a good thing
How disgusting? size double zero? i mean what the f**k? Its stupid programs like this that puts these pathetic ideas in these young girls heads
Tampering with your weight is the LAST thing you should be worried about in your life.
By the way, I’m 17 too so if i can see how bad this is, then you girls my age SHOULD TOO!
i actually missed the programme but saw highlights i personally think that the programme was aimed at THOSE WHO ARE LIKELY OR ARE TRYING TO BECOME A SIZE 00 AT ANY COST which would be teen girls upwards. i feel that they did a great job and hopefully they have scared the next generation of extreme dieters and also let their parent and friends be able to spot a size 00 wanna be!
Well i watched the show n i fort it was great n also a great help to me! i have been wantin to loose weight for a long time n i neva had the will power but watchin the show made me see how hard can it reali b.. i am 16 at weight around 13stone n im 5ft 7in! i h8 my weight n my onli wish is to be skinny again i dnt no about the size 00 but anythin from a size 6-0 would be great and im not goin to stop till i reach my aim! everyone of my friends think im stupid n say im fine the way i am but i dnt fink so! my family and boyfriend dn no becoz if my mum makes me food ill say im eatin upstairs n i get rid of it so she finks ive ate it, even sometimes i tryed to make myself sik bcoz i feel disgustin if i ave a bite of nethin! as i see it is dat i drink lots of water so that will keep me alive until i reach my goal! N ppl mite answer sayin i have an eatin dissorder but i dont im not affraid of food i jus wana be skinny, i no there is risks but im willing to take them i onli started this a week and alf ago and ive already lost 9lbs! If anyone can fink of a safer way to losing weight and fast please feel free to tellin me dat but it as to be gone by the 20th june becoz im going on holiday and i wana look the best i ever have done for my boyfriend just to prove i can do it! i wana loose at least 2stone b4 i go!! Thanks alot luvyaz xxxx
this program was a great idea!!! as a sufferer of basically a fear of eating… this made me realise for a while how stupid it is! without programs like this, people my age become stupidly involved with extreme weightloss and exercise regimes! i think we need more and more coverage from the press!
Hello! I Am A 17 Year Old Girl And I Am Currently A Size 12 I Have Got Quite A Big Stomach On Me And Rather Large Thighs I Havent Had Problems With My Eaten Before But Recently I Have Found Myself Looking In The Mirror And Dying To Be A Size 0 Because Of The Abuse Girls Get Now A Days And Also I Personally Think It Looks Perfect And Watchin This Programme Made Me Think I Could Do It And All I Need To Do Is Put My Mind AndBody To It AndTo Concentrate Really Hard.! Id Be Grateful If I Even Ended Up Bein A Size 8.!
It seems many of the ladies posting here would do well learning how to spell before they start worrying about their weight…
Hi, I think that if it works and u really wanna lose weight to make u feel gud about urself then go for it! We are starting it on thursday
xx
hey, ive been reading through the comments an really want to watch the programme! Im a uk 8-10 and i hate my figure i have a small chest and big thighs i want to be uk 6-8 but i really cant! Ive been trying for two years, i got small for a while then piled it back on, can anyone help me out here?
i think everyone needs to stop being so harsh on the size 0’s out there! Everyone has a life let them live it however they feel they want to, everyones different wanting different things, if they have been warned leave them too it, let them learn for thereselves
haha, 1 in 10 would rather be skinny than intelligent. Do you know why?
Because they’re already too stupid to realize which is the better choice!
i think this show was a great idea…it give tips +& stuff..itz good 2 me because i have an eating disorder..but i need it…i am 160lbs +& a size 18…i need anorexia +& bulimia..so i _[L]0VEd the show…im doing the liquid diet..this documentary made me stronger
i think that size zero women look like
8 year old boys. so to u models out there
you think u look stunning but u look
terrible, get a life is it u air heads god.!!!!!
I think the programme was trying to put across how easy it is to fall under a self hypnosis on the high you get from losing so much weight, your mind is such a powerful tool its foolish to mess with it just to lose weight, myself suffered from a eating disorder last year and watching the programme brought it all flooding back to me the devasting effect it has on your mind and body, i think that the programme should have had a third person following the same exercise routine as the other two but on a more balanced diet with the help of a nutrionist to show that the weight can be lost just as fast. Also i think that these two women didnt actually have the mind set to lose weight their for they really didnt get the high that makes you ignore all the warning signs your body is telling you. My advice to people portion size your meals, cut your carbs down, stop drinking rubbish sugary drinks get on water and get your but to the gym the weight will fall off.
how much do you wanna bet the increase in the sale of these two drugs mentioned hear will increase whether this really works in humans or not?