Brendan Fraser's weight gain in "The Whale" bravely looks obesity in the face

Hi friends. That morbid obesity is a pandemic is probably no surprise to most of us. But entertainment media has been curiously loathe to show obesity. We marvel over an individual actor's weight gain or weight loss. But as a feature, it's relegated to shows like "My 600-lb Life" and "1000-lb Sisters." But when Brendan Fraser took a 2023 Best Actor Oscar for the movie "The Whale" it brought home the severity of the problem. And I applaud Brendan Fraser both for having the courage to take on a very not-Hollywood heartthrob role and for doing it with such sensitivity. 

Much has been made of Brendan Fraser's weight gain and how he looks "unrecognizable" since his days in "Encino Man", "The Mummy" and "George of the Jungle." Of course Fraser has changed in 30 years. Who hasn't?? We gain weight and wrinkles, lose hair and muscle tone. Shit happens. 

Obviously, to portray obesity like "My 600-lb Life" in "The Whale" Brendan Fraser had to wear a "fat suit." I don't like that term. I also don't like that fat suits are sold in joke shops as Halloween costumes. Morbid obesity is no laughing matter as "The Whale", "My 600-lb Life" and "1000lb Sisters" sadly show us.  

This blog looks at how I lost 100 pounds, after age 50, without gastric bypass. To understand dramatic weight loss, we first  have to understand how we got overweight in the first place. Everyone's backstory is a little different. Mine was due to having two stillborn babies, depression and the antidepressant Paxil and broken limit switches. And just age. 

So we grieve over stories like "My 600-lb Life" and "The Whale." But we also learn. About compassion, empathy and that weight loss and a healthier life are possible. 

#howilost100pounds