In July, I commented on an episode of Real Story – the one featuring Jack Glassett and his obesity problem. Today, I receive a somewhat ranty email from Jack’s sister. So, in the interests of fairness, I publish it in full.
here do i start?? You are one track minded!!! As Jacks older sister i know what you have written about my younger brother is complete BULL!!! I am 5 10 and 8 and a half stone, my other brother is slim as well, jack has a medical condition… we’ve tried every single diet in the book and nothing works… Jack is a very active young man who loves his sports so before you start slating people i’d find out all the facts. We were brought up in a loving family who showered us with love and affection, we never had bad food in the house its just one of them things. Its negative people like you who dont have a clue about the si tuation that give jack a bad name. We were asked by the BBC to eat the food we ate on the programme. In future please find out all facts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kind Regards Hollie
In Hollie’s own words; where do I start? My comments were a response to the discussion on the programme. That is, interviews with Jack and his family. I widened the discussion to include the changes to our society that this story reflects; the something-for-nothing society; the desire for government to micro-manage our lives; for taxpayers (i.e. me) to pay for operations deemed necessary as a consequence of lifestyle rather than genuine illness. It was a reasonable comment and I stand by what I said.
Hollie complains about misrepresentation. Ordinarily I would recommend that she complain to the BBC. Also I would usually agree with her comment about gathering all the facts. Normally, I would seek other sources covering the story. However, in this instance, the comments were confined to the discussion contained in one programme; Real Story and the messages contained therein, so other sources were inapplicable.
Unfortunately, in her email Hollie admits that the family colluded with the programme makers in sexing up the portrayal of Jack’s diet. The scenes where Jack stuffed his face with beef-burgers were, she tells us, a fake. Hollie’s suggestion that I get my facts straight is therefore undermined by the family’s obfuscation of those facts. If the family cannot be truthful on camera, where else am I to seek the truth? Hypocrisy is an ugly word, but relevant here. Does the word “no” not exist in the Glassett household? That’s all it would have taken; a simple refusal to co-operate with a misleading portrayal. Hollie’s criticism, therefore, of a viewer who dared to express a negative comment as a consequence of that collusion is a rich piece of effrontery. If people prostitute themselves for their fifteen minutes of fame, they cannot then complain about the consequences. If they deceive the viewer in the process, then I have no sympathy whatsoever. It is not up to the viewer to seek out extra facts before commenting; it is up to the programme maker and the contributors to be truthful in the first instance.
The background to Jack’s condition is not particularly relevant. Obesity is the consequence of the body ingesting more calories than it can burn off. There may be a number of reasons why the ingestion happens. However the “cure” is straightforward. Eat less; exercise more. Stomach stapling is an attempt to enforce the former. It is equally possible to achieve it just by eating less – and exercising more.
Had Hollie bothered to read the article in full before hitting her “send” key, she would have realised that I was broadly sympathetic to Jack’s plight and finished by wishing him well in his attempts to resolve the problem through conventional means… by eating less and exercising more. I still wish him well with that.
Update: I notice that there was a follow-up to this story in the Sunday Mirror. I know, I know, not the most reliable of sources, but…
Speaking at the family home in Milton Keynes, Bucks, Karen, a GP’s receptionist, said: “The rest of the family aren’t obese. His older brother and sister are both very thin. We are not an irresponsible family who have plied Jack with fattening foods. We all eat a healthy diet but Jack does like his food. *His portions might be three times bigger than ours and he snacks regularly between meals. I’ve locked food away but he still finds it.’ Now he needs help we cannot give.”
*my emphasis
Sigh…:dry: