Fat March


Fat March is an American reality television series on the ABC network, based on the UK Channel Four series Too Big To Walk. It premiered on August 6, 2007, and ended on September 10, 2007.

Synopsis

The show focuses on 12 individuals attempting to walk from the starting line of the Boston Marathon to Washington, D.C. for a prize of US$1.2 million.
The show focuses on teamwork by starting with the initial $1.2 million prize, which is to be divided evenly among each contestant to finish the walk. However, at the end of each episode, contestants have the opportunity to nominate any of their team for removal from the walk. Any time someone is voted out, is physically unable to continue, or chooses to stop, each remaining individual's share is cut by $10,000. Participants can choose to vote for no one. It only takes one vote for a person to be ejected; thus if 11 people vote for no one, but one person votes for someone, that one person who received one vote is eliminated.

Participants

  • Wendy, 40, 5'6", 234 pounds, professional singer and author: A construction company owner who resides in La Canada, California. She is married with a seven-year-old stepdaughter and wants to return to the stage as a singer and songwriter, but needs to lose weight first. Wendy had four top 40 hits in Europe in the nineties.
  • Chantal, 35, 5'2", 250 pounds, comedian: A student who resides in Brookline, Massachusetts. She dreams of one day owning a pair of slim designer jeans.
  • Jami Lyn, 30, 5'9", 236 pounds, military wife: A housewife who resides in Daleville, Alabama. She is the mother of three children and finds it difficult to be so much larger than her husband and the only big person in the family.
  • Kimberly, 39, 5'5", 274 pounds, former rap diva: A real estate investor who resides in Duluth, Georgia. She was once known as the rap artist Tempest with a top 20 album in Europe. She was in the group Sweetbox. Her mother and father died four months apart due to weight-related issues when she was 15 years old. Prior to this show, she was a contestant on season 1 of I Want [to Work for Diddy], using her nickname, Poprah.
  • Loralie, 30, 5'3", 233 pounds, wants to have a baby: A marketing resources expert who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is married and dreams of starting a big family, but her doctor requires that she lose weight first before becoming pregnant.
  • Shea, 27, 5'7", 289 pounds, former college softball player: A makeup/special effects artist who resides in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. She is embarrassed that she is the biggest person in the makeup trailer, and her parents are worried about how her weight is affecting her health.
  • Anthony, 26, 6'3", 410 pounds: He is unemployed and resides in Addison, Illinois. He is determined not to let being overweight kill him. He is billed on-screen as a "26-year-old virgin."
  • Matt, 36, 6'4", 386 pounds: He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and is married with two children. He was released from the WWE the year prior when officials felt he was too heavy and it was not safe for him to compete. He must lose weight to return to his career.
  • Michael, 41, 6' 2½", 330 pounds: A lab technician who resides in Elwood, Illinois. He is married with two children and says he has tried every diet "from A to Z."
  • Sam, 22, 5'9", 371 pounds: A certified massage therapist who lives in Everett, Massachusetts, is single, and believes that his weight has kept him from being hired for work. He wrestles in independent wrestling promotions as "Ma'kua".
  • Shane, 34, 6'0", 519 pounds: A youth minister who lives in Mesquite, Texas. He is married with a two-year-old child and another due in October, and wants to be around to watch them grow up.
  • Will, 26, 6'2", 470 pounds: A retail clerk who resides in Brooklyn, New York. He eats competitively, is single with no children and would like to inspire others to lose weight and get in shape.

    Episodes

Weigh ins

ContestantAgeHtStart
Wt		Stage
1		Stage
2		Stage
3		Stage
4		Stage
5		Stage
6		lbs lost
Chantal355'2"25024623622822121319951
Jami Lyn305'9"23623121820920219818650
Loralie305'3"23322822221320619718548
Michael416'2"33031528627325825223991
Sam225'9"37135535133632331429774
Shea275'7"28928027226525524423455
Anthony266'3"41040039637836735555
Matt366'4"38938335535433653
Will266'2"47045144142441357
Wendy405'6"23421921519
Shane346'0"519–
Kimberly395'5"274–

Pounds lost per stage

Reception

Fat March received mixed reactions from fitness experts. Cardiologist James Rippe called the show "dangerous for lots of reasons" and said that it "sends a message that walking is painful, you get blisters, you get hurt and it's humiliating. They've made a spectacle of people who did this with all good intentions."