Influence of big media

In a country where two-thirds of the adults – and one-third of all children – are overweight, pop culture is finally catching up. Chubby actresses no longer have to play the role of the BFF, but can now start finding work in leading roles.

The Lifetime show Drop Dead Diva deals with a former skinny model finding herself reborn in a “plain Jane’s body.” Now, the overweight brunette has to make a career for herself as a lawyer. And the new ABC Family drama, Huge, debuted Monday night. Huge deals with overweight teenagers sent off to fat camp. The campers learn to take care of themselves – and not just physically – and evolve into the young people they want to be.

So now we have to ask ourselves, should pop culture be promoting what doctors and nutritionists unanimously agree is unhealthy?

While I debated with myself a bit, I’m confident that yes, they should. Mainstream media should be embracing the new face of America.

There’s no denying that as prominent as obesity is, many young girls (and boys) grow up comparing themselves with the false sense of beauty coming from airbrushed actresses and models. Many of them lack the self-esteem to realize that you can be beautiful, that you can be a good person, that you can be happy regardless of whether you fit that ideal concept of “beauty.”

It’s important to give not just youth but everyone a sense of belonging. It’s comforting to turn on the TV and see someone who resembles you, your sister or your best friend. Kudos to pop culture for catching on.

But to be successful and appease those who hate to see society struggle with weight, the characters in the growing genre must lead healthy lifestyles and promote becoming the best person they possibly can. (And, unlike the show “Ugly Betty,” they need not promote the fallacy that attractive people are mean and ugly spirited.)

And as long as these shows aren’t promoting Twinkies and laziness, I’m good.