The Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that it will add a new show called Inside Rehab to its prime time lineup when the cable network debuts in January. Over the course of eight episodes, the docu-series will offer “a rare look inside an eating disorder treatment facility where patients face their demons and struggle to come to terms with what’s behind the food.”
“Inside Rehab takes viewers into the world of eating disorders in a raw and transformative way,” said Lisa Erspamer, chief creative officer, in a statement. “Whether you have issues with food or know someone who does, this series offers perspective, hope, and the possibility to see food-based issues in a new light.”
The show was developed by Winfrey’s Harpo Studios and produced by the team behind the docu-series Obsessed. OWN will bow in roughly 80 million homes and will feature shows like Oprah’s Next Chapter, a new one-hour show that will feature Winfrey hitting the road to have “more riveting conversations with the people we all want to hear from, in some very unexpected places,” along with Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind; Your Own Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star and Why Not? With Shania Twain.
Will Oprah be featured in this series? Considering all the time and effort she had placed over a year ago about the importance of eating healthy and losing weight, yet here we are today and she is as big as ever. Why should America listen to anything she and her production company promotes?
She’s all talk.
My son has a website and contact info, as a motivatinal speaker, for cllege ad high school students,as he ues his near death xperience wn at ae 17, he was prooted due o family move, an became anorexic.
He uses his story to help other’s recognize th illness and reflects back,showing young people the many unexpected changes that have occurred since then, focusing on the many changes that occur, that were dirctly caused,by his starvation and recovery during those years, no one could have predicted the life long and dfficult journey since.In the summer of te year 2000, his story was shared on an afternoon talk show that featured him, on KOMO TV, the ABC affiliate in Seattle, Washington. His interview fo9cused on the lack of information and awareness that there is a rising number of young men suffering with this illness, and since that interview the increase is continuing to rise at an alarming rate. He has an aazing story and has spoken at colleges thouhout the county, heling thousands of youth over these years. His web site hs amazing testimonials. His name is Matthew Schmoker,
I oe you ake a few momets to consider his perspective, and story of recovery and health issues that have long lasting effects.
I think it glorify s eating disorders.
if it shares the medical consequences that is better, but it is definitely not a good idea
I don’t think this is a good idea, eating disorders should be private, recovery especially for an anoretic is very private. By publicising weight gain, and having people watching and commenting can fuel an anoretic to stay at a low weight or drop even further. Doco’s cement the idea that the eating disorder is a worth role, an identity they can don for sypathy and self worth. Remember Roudine? Oprah interviewed this anoretic woman for years she would recover and regress and so on until she died. Eating disorders and all mental illness are very personal and fragile things. I do not thik personal documentaries are helpful unless thee individual has fully recovered. Seriously this is a dangerous play ground- the human mind. Tread carefully. She may not realise she is doing far more trouble than she intended.
As a recovering anorexic/bulimic that has been in treatment centers, it definitely infringes on the patients rights. I’m sure they had to sign waivers or something but at least with my experience, being in there and extremely underweight, there is no way that I could have made sound decisions for myself – let alone something like appearing in my most vulnerable state on tv. I think it could also be detrimental to those who may be ‘pro-ana’ as I’m sure there will be patients that are malnourished appearing on camera. An all-around BAD idea!
Love her
I don’t think that this is a good idea. People with eating disorders will want to watch this show to compare themselves with the others with eating disorders. Eating disorders thrive on comparing and learning new habits from others. Being someone who has recovered from anorexia, i know how rough treatment can be and i don’t think publisizing it will make it any easier for those in the process.
i think this a great idea
people should know the severeity of eating dis-orders , and know its not a silly indulgence to be skinny , or beautiful , but a full on disease
aslo i do hope the can be a little more ground breaking than most of these articles about anorexia , and bulimia
i hope they show it is a male disease just as much as a female disease
my is i a facility right( rogers memeorial, in wisconsin) now , and there are almost the same amount of males there as there are females
new facts would be nice
its not about just beauty
not just about dancers , models , and athletes
lets do the research needed
i completely disagree. you may think its a great idea because im getting the idea that you;ve never had an eating disorder i still struggle and have for five years with both anorexia and bulimia. there’s no “new facts” about this disease, just ignorance. this disease has been around forever, although they didn’t have a diagnosis for it back then. if people want to learn about it then they really shouldn’t in the first place. it’s incredibly personal. i couldnt even imagine what the rehab patients would feel like, it will not be beneficial to them at all it will only cause them more stress and anxiety to be filmed while facing their disorder head on for recovery. i’ve been in and out of rehab centers and i know how incredibly hard and stressful it is. there’s a difference between information on the disease-with recovered sufferers- as opposed to going into an environment of sick people. i am really against how she is doing this because it has nothing to do with oprah and she’s jsut going to say “but look how skinny you are” and many people will watch this as a circus, to see how messed up these people are. it really upsets me. that’s my opinion. the only people that should go inside rehabilitation centers is family and therapists. ones who KNOW the patient as a person, not as a disorder.
also , there should be an insiders point of view ,on issues like how the insurance companies see this disease, what they cover , and what they don`t cover .the fact that they alot very little time for rehabilitation , before they deem the patient cured because ” their vitals are normal now” , a phrase we have heard many times
get in deep people
call some family members who have fought for the patients in the background , and get some shocking ugly truths
we`ve fought for our son for 5 years
we have gone bankrupt, and live it every day
we are one of thousands
we need help
I so agree with Spike.
Keep it real.
Interview the families who have had to go through the heartache of their loved one fighting ED with the barrier of limitations that insurance companies put on treatment.
That would be useful.
Exploiting suffers is not useful.
When my daughter was going through this for 2 years I had to avoid Oprah b/c every other day was a show about food, weight, how to look thinner, how bad food is for you. I wrote so many angry letters.
I’m glad to see a show bringing hopefully awareness, when we went through it there were no resources, no one talks about it, we were lost.
Even her health class was a nightmare. We’re dealing with the full throws of anorexia and her health teacher is showing Super Size Me, and spends three weeks on how bad food can be for you, Miley Cyrus had a commercial about eating nothing but fruits and vegetables (paid for by the farmers association). We couldn’t get away from food/media crap.
I highly doubt this will be exploitative, probably more like “Thin Like Me”, the excellent HBO documentary done several years ago.
This disease has such shame that goes with it, that I think its needs more awareness.
As an anorexia patient currently in treatment I think its a great idea to do this show. We don’t know yet what the form will take so how can we say how bad it will be. The fact is people really don’t understand eating disorders and face it their is still a stigma so mabye this can help others as well as educate people that don’t know. We don’t hide other diseases why should this be any different. And the people who want to watch it to get hints and tips they can get it anywhere proana sites, other ed patients etc. If someone isnt ready to give it up and work on it they will always find some way to learn new ways. Im very interested to see how this show will turn out. I hope it opens up people’s eyes and show what its really like for us.
Thank you! someone who actually makes sense. how can we say it’s bad when it hasn’t even been filmed or edited yet? agreed, that pro-ana’s and those suffering can use it negatively but that’s just the disorder isn’t it? and this needs to be talked about as well. I’m a recovering (still) anorexic of nearly 17 years, and I’m only 28. I’m amazed at how people don’t know the truth about EDs, I only hope this truly explains them and doesn’t focus on body, weight, and food.
My teen just revealed her eating disorder to me a few months ago. I am new at this and realize that just like the years of infertility I suffered through, NO ONE can ever understand the severity, agony, and struggle of REAL eating disorders unless you live with it. Some things in life are just that way. Eating disorders are on a steep incline in our society and they are much more serious than most people would guess. I think shedding light on the facts and the reality of living with an eating disorder would shock our society into waking up and understanding these silent but deadly disorders. I think Oprah knows how to produce a series in a professional manner. This is a topic that is near and dear to her. I highly doubt she is looking to exploit this sensitive but very important topic and the people struggling with it.
Bad idea.
Join the group on FB “Stop reality shows from expoiting eating disorder patients”
Sometimes participating in shows like this is the only way some folks, without insurance, can get much needed treatment.
WORST. IDEA. EVER.
hi ho gril ncde hwuon ms
having been in an eating recovery center and still in treatment i highly doubt this will “glorify eating disorders.” It’s difficult for most people without this horrible disease to really understand it and i think a show like this may help expel some stereotypes. For me, at least, the disease goes way beyond body image issues or even food itself and i think that is difficult for people to really grasp. There is a lot of ignorance surrounding this disease and i can attest to that because i had so many people try to help me and tell me to “just eat something” and i really want people to understand that if it were really that easy there would be no need for residential treatment.
I am insulted about this idea. I personally think its a horrible idea. I was in treatment myself in flordia and came all the way from canada. It was a very personal, emotional and extremely hard experience. I could never imagine having my recovery for all to see on national tv. In the end people in that position may feel like they cant get the proper recovery because its to impersonal and not be able to have the full effect of treatment. I have always respected oprah and her decisions and watched her tv show since i was very little. But this is one thing i do not respect.